John 1 - Easy To Read Version Easy To Read Version
John 1

¹ Before the world began, the Word {\cf2\super [1]} was there. The Word was there with God. The Word was God.

² He was there with God in the beginning.

³ All things were made through him (the Word). Nothing was made without him.

⁴ In him there was life. That life was light (understanding, goodness) for the people of the world.

⁵ The Light shines in the darkness. The darkness has not defeated {\cf2\super [2]} the Light.

⁶ There was a man named John. {\cf2\super [3]} He was sent by God.

⁷ John came to tell people about the Light (Christ). Through John all people could \{hear about the Light and\} believe.

⁸ John was not the Light. But John came to tell people about the Light.

⁹ The true Light was coming into the world. This is the true Light that gives light to all people.

¹⁰ The Word {\cf2\super [4]} was already in the world. The world was made through him. But the world (people) did not know him.

¹¹ He came to the world that was his own. But his own people did not accept him.

¹² Some people did accept him. They believed in him. He gave something to those people who believed. He gave them the right to become children of God.

¹³ These children were not born like little babies are born. They were not born from the wish or plan of a \{mother and\} father. These children were born from God.

¹⁴ The Word {\cf2\super [5]} became a man and lived among us. We saw his glory—the glory that belongs to the only Son of the Father. The Word was full of grace (kindness) and truth.

¹⁵ John told people about him. John said, “This is the One I was talking about. I said, ‘The One who comes after me is more important than I am. He was living before me.’”

¹⁶ The Word {\cf2\super [6]} (Christ) was full of grace and truth. From him we all received more and more blessings.

¹⁷ The law was given through Moses. But grace and \{the way of\} truth came through Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ No man has ever seen God. But the only Son (Jesus) is God. He is very close to the Father {\cf2\super [7]} (God). And the Son has shown us what God is like.

¹⁹ The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent some priests and Levites {\cf2\super [8]} to John. {\cf2\super [9]} The Jews sent them to ask, “Who are you?”

²⁰ John spoke freely. John did not refuse to answer. John said clearly, “I am not the Christ. {\cf2\super [10]} ” That is what John told people.

²¹ The Jews asked John, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah {\cf2\super [11]} ?”

²² Then the Jews said, “Who are you? Tell us about yourself. Give us an answer to tell the people who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

²³ John told them the words of the prophet {\cf2\super [13]} Isaiah:

²⁴ These Jews were sent from the Pharisees. {\cf2\super [14]}

²⁵ These men said to John: “You say you are not the Christ. {\cf2\super [15]} You say you are not Elijah {\cf2\super [16]} or the Prophet. {\cf2\super [17]} Then why do you baptize {\cf2\super [18]} people?”

²⁶ John answered, “I baptize {\cf2\super [19]} people with water. But there is a person here with you that you don’t know.

²⁷ That person is the One who comes after me. I am not good enough to untie the strings on his shoes.”

²⁸ These things all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan River. This is where John was baptizing {\cf2\super [20]} people.

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him. John said, “Look, the Lamb of God. {\cf2\super [21]} He takes away the sins of the world!

³⁰ This is the One I was talking about. I said, ‘A man will come after me, but he is greater than I am, because he was living before me—\{he has always lived\}.’

^31-33 Even I did not know who he was. But I came baptizing {\cf2\super [22]} people with water so that Israel (the Jews) could know that Jesus is \{the Christ\} {\cf2\super [23]} .”

³⁴ So this is what I tell people: ‘He (Jesus) is the Son of God.’”

³⁵ The next day John was there again. John had two of his followers with him.

³⁶ John saw Jesus walking by. John said, “Look, the Lamb of God {\cf2\super [27]} !”

³⁷ The two followers heard John say this, so they followed Jesus.

³⁸ Jesus turned and saw the two men following him. Jesus asked, “What do you want?”

³⁹ Jesus answered, “Come with me and you will see.” So the two men went with Jesus. They saw the place where Jesus stayed. They stayed there with Jesus that day. It was about four o’clock.

⁴⁰ These two men followed Jesus after they heard about Jesus from John. One of these two men was named Andrew. Andrew was Simon Peter’s brother.

⁴¹ The first thing Andrew did was to go find his brother, Simon. Andrew said to Simon, “We have found the Messiah.” (“Messiah” means “Christ. {\cf2\super [28]} ”)

⁴² Then Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at Simon and said, “You are Simon, the son of John. You will be called Cephas.” (“Cephas” means “Peter. {\cf2\super [29]} ”)

⁴³ The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. Jesus found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”

⁴⁴ Philip was from the town of Bethsaida, the same as Andrew and Peter.

⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and told him, “Remember what Moses wrote in the law. Moses wrote about a man that was coming. The prophets {\cf2\super [30]} wrote about him too. We have found him. His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph. He is from Nazareth.”

⁴⁶ But Nathanael said to Philip, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him. Jesus said, “This man coming is truly one of God’s people. {\cf2\super [31]} There is nothing false in him.”

⁴⁸ Nathanael asked, “How do you know me?”

⁴⁹ Then Nathanael said to Jesus, “Teacher, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel (God’s people).”

⁵⁰ Jesus said to Nathanael, “I told you that I saw you under the fig tree. That is why you believe in me. But you will see much greater things than that!”

⁵¹ Jesus also said, “I tell you the truth. You will all see heaven open. You will see ‘angels of God going up and coming down’ {\cf2\super [32]} on the Son of Man. {\cf2\super [33]} ”