Part 21 (1/2)

IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with G.o.d, and the Word was G.o.d. (2)The same was in the beginning with G.o.d. (3)All things were made by him[1:3]; and without him was nothing made that has been made.

(4)In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (5)And the light s.h.i.+nes in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

(6)There was a man sent from G.o.d, whose name was John. (7)The same came for witness, to bear witness of the light, that through him all might believe. (8)He was not the light; but [came] to bear witness of the light. (9)There was the true light, which lights every man that comes into the world. (10)He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (11)He came to his own, and his own received him not. (12)But as many as received him, to them he gave power to become children of G.o.d, to those who believe on his name; (13)who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of G.o.d.

(14)And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us[1:14]; and we beheld his glory, a glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(15)John bore witness of him; and cried, saying: This was he of whom I said, He that comes after me is preferred before me, because he was before me[1:15]. (16)Because out of his fullness we all received, and grace for grace. (17)For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (18)No one has ever seen G.o.d; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he declared him.

(19)And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him: Who art thou? (20)And he confessed, and denied not; and he confessed: I am not the Christ. (21)And they asked him: What then? Art thou Elijah? And he says: I am not. Art thou the Prophet? And he answered: No. (22)They said therefore to him: Who art thou? that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? (23)He said: I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.

(24)And they who were sent were of the Pharisees. (25)And they asked him, and said to him: Why then dost thou immerse, if thou art not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? (26)John answered them, saying: I immerse in water. There stands one in the midst of you, whom ye know not; (27)he who comes after me, the latchet of whose sandal I am not worthy to loose.

(28)These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was immersing.

(29)On the morrow, he sees Jesus coming to him, and says: Behold the Lamb of G.o.d, that takes away the sin of the world! (30)This is he of whom I said: After me comes a man who is preferred before me; because he was before me[1:30]. (31)And I knew him not; but that he might be made manifest to Israel, for this I came immersing in water.

(32)And John bore witness, saying: I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and it abode upon him. (33)And I knew him not; but he who sent me to immerse in water, the same said to me: Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding on him, the same is he who immerses in the Holy Spirit. (34)And I have seen, and have borne witness, that this is the Son of G.o.d.

(35)Again, on the morrow, John was standing, and two of his disciples; (36)and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he says: Behold the Lamb of G.o.d! (37)And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. (38)And Jesus turning, and beholding them following, says to them: What seek ye? They said to him: Rabbi (which interpreted means, Teacher), where dost thou abide? (39)He says to them: Come, and ye shall see. They came and saw where he abode; and they abode with him that day. It was about the tenth hour.

(40)Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard it from John, and followed him. (41)He first finds his brother Simon, and says to him: We have found the Messiah, which is interpreted, Christ. (42)And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus, beholding him, said: Thou art Simon the son of Jonah; thou shalt be called Cephas, which is interpreted, Peter[1:42].

(43)On the morrow he would go forth into Galilee. And he finds Philip; and Jesus says to him: Follow me. (44)Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. (45)Philip finds Nathanael, and says to him: We have found him of whom Moses, in the law, and the prophets wrote, Jesus the son of Joseph, who is from Nazareth. (46)And Nathanael said to him: Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip says to him: Come and see. (47)Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and says of him: Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

(48)Nathanael says to him: Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said to him: Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee. (49)Nathanael answered: Rabbi; thou art the Son of G.o.d, thou art the King of Israel. (50)Jesus answered and said to him: Because I said to thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these. (51)And he says to him: Verily, verily, I say to you, henceforth[1:51] ye shall see heaven opened, and the angels of G.o.d ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

II.

AND on the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there. (2)And Jesus also was bidden, and his disciples, to the marriage. (3)And wine having failed, the mother of Jesus says to him: They have no wine. (4)Jesus says to her: Woman, what have I to do with thee? My hour is not yet come. (5)His mother says to the servants: Whatever he says to you, do it. (6)Now there were set there six water-pots of stone, after the Jewish custom of purifying, containing two or three firkins[2:6] apiece. (7)Jesus says to them: Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. (8)And he says to them: Draw out now, and bear to the ruler of the feast. And they bore it. (9)When the ruler of the feast tasted the water that was made wine (and he knew not whence it was, but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast called the bridegroom, (10)and says to him: Every man sets forth the good wine first; and when they have drunk freely, then that which is worse.

Thou hast kept the good wine until now. (11)This beginning of the signs Jesus wrought in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

(12)After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brothers, and his disciples; and they abode there not many days.

(13)And the pa.s.sover of the Jews was at hand; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. (14)And he found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money-changers sitting. (15)And having made a scourge of small cords, he drove all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; (16)and to those who sold doves he said: Take these things hence; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise. (17)And his disciples remembered that it is written: for thy house consumes me.

(18)The Jews therefore answered and said to him: What sign dost thou show to us, seeing that thou doest these things? (19)Jesus answered and said to them: Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. (20)Therefore said the Jews: Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou raise it up in three days? (21)But he said it of the temple of his body. (22)When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this; and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus spoke.

(23)And when he was in Jerusalem at the pa.s.sover, on the feast-day, many believed on his name, beholding his signs which he wrought.

(24)But Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he knew all men, (25)and had no need that any one should testify of man; for he himself knew what was in man.

III.

THERE was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. (2)The same came to him by night, and said to him: Rabbi, we know that thou hast come a teacher from G.o.d; for no one can do these signs which thou doest, except G.o.d be with him.

(3)Jesus answered and said to him: Verily, verily, I say to thee, except a man be born again[3:3], he can not see the kingdom of G.o.d.

(4)Nicodemus says to him: How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

(5)Jesus answered: Verily, verily, I say to thee, except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of G.o.d.

(6)That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (7)Marvel not that I said to thee: Ye must be born again.