₁In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ₂From the very beginning the Word was with God. ₃Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him. ₄The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to humanity. ₅The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.

₆God sent his messenger, a man named John, ₇who came to tell people about the light, so that all should hear the message and believe. ₈He himself was not the light; he came to tell about the light. ₉This was the real light — the light that comes into the world and shines on everyone.

₁₀The Word was in the world, and though God made the world through him, yet the world did not recognize him. ₁₁He came to his own country, but his own people did not receive him. ₁₂Some, however, did receive him and believed in him; so he gave them the right to become God's children. ₁₃They did not become God's children by natural means, that is, by being born as the children of a human father; God himself was their Father.

₁₄The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son.

₁₅John spoke about him. He cried out, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘He comes after me, but he is greater than I am, because he existed before I was born.’ ”

₁₆Out of the fullness of his grace he has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after another. ₁₇God gave the Law through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ₁₈No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known.