Bible in Basic English
He said quite openly and straightforwardly, I am not the Christ.
And they said to him, What then? Are you Elijah? And he said, I am not. Are you the prophet? And his answer was, I am not.
So they said to him, Who are you then? We have to give some answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself?
He said, I am the voice of one crying in the waste land, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.
Those who had been sent came from the Pharisees.
And they put this question to him, saying, Why then are you giving baptism if you are not the Christ, or Elijah, or the prophet?
John's answer was: I give baptism with water; but there is one among you of whom you have no knowledge;
It is he who is coming after me; I am not good enough to undo his shoes.
These things took place at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was giving baptism.
The day after, John sees Jesus coming to him and says, See, here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
This is he of whom I said, One is coming after me who is put over me because he was in existence before me.
I myself had no knowledge of him, but I came giving baptism with water so that he might be seen openly by Israel.
And John gave this witness, saying, I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove and resting on him.
I had no knowledge who he was, but he who sent me to give baptism with water said to me, The one on whom you see the Spirit coming down and resting, it is he who gives baptism with the Holy Spirit.
This I saw myself and my witness is that he is the Son of God.
The day after, John was there again with two of his disciples;
And looking at Jesus while he was walking he said, See, there is the Lamb of God!
Hearing what he said, the two disciples went after Jesus.
And Jesus, turning round, saw them coming after him and said to them, What are you looking for? They said to him, Rabbi (which is to say, Master), where are you living? +
He said to them, Come and see. They went with him then and saw where he was living; and they were with him all that day: it was then about the tenth hour of the day.
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two men who, hearing what John said, went after Jesus.
Early in the morning he came across his brother and said to him, We have made discovery! It is the Messiah! (which is to say, the Christ).
And he took him to Jesus. Looking at him fixedly Jesus said, You are Simon, the son of John; your name will be Cephas (which is to say, Peter).
The day after this, Jesus had a desire to go into Galilee. He came across Philip and said to him, Come and be my disciple.
Now Philip's town was Beth-saida, where Andrew and Peter came from.
Philip came across Nathanael and said to him, We have made a discovery! It is he of whom Moses, in the law, and the prophets were writing, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Nazareth! said Nathanael, Is it possible for any good to come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said of him, See, here is a true son of Israel in whom there is nothing false.
Nathanael said to him, Where did you get knowledge of me? In answer Jesus said, Before Philip was talking with you, while you were still under the fig-tree, I saw you.
Nathanael said to him, Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are King of Israel!
In answer Jesus said to him, You have faith because I said to you, I saw you under the fig-tree. You will see greater things than these.
And he said to him, Truly I say to you all, You will see heaven opening and God's angels going up and coming down on the Son of man.
— John 1:20-1964, Bible in Basic English
“And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. ”
“And he confessed, and denied not; and he confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered, No. They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet. And they had been sent from the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why then baptizest thou, if thou art not the Christ, neither Elijah, neither the prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize in water: in the midst of you standeth one whom ye know not, even he that cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. On the morrow he seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man who is become before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing in water. And John bare witness, saying, I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven; and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize in water, he said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon him, the same is he that baptizeth in the Holy Spirit. And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. Again on the morrow John was standing, and two of his disciples; and he looked upon Jesus as he walked, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. And Jesus turned, and beheld them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? And they said unto him, Rabbi (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), where abidest thou? He saith unto them, Come, and ye shall see. They came therefore and saw where he abode; and they abode with him that day: it was about the tenth hour. One of the two that heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He findeth first his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah (which is, being interpreted, Christ). He brought him unto Jesus. Jesus looked upon him, and said, Thou art Simon the son of John: thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter). On the morrow he was minded to go forth into Galilee, and he findeth Philip: and Jesus saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee underneath the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. ”
For the law was given through Moses; grace and the true way of life are ours through Jesus Christ.
No man has seen God at any time; the only Son, who is on the breast of the Father, he has made clear what God is.
And this is the witness of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to him with the question, Who are you?
He said quite openly and straightforwardly, I am not the Christ.
And they said to him, What then? Are you Elijah? And he said, I am not. Are you the prophet? And his answer was, I am not.
So they said to him, Who are you then? We have to give some answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself?
He said, I am the voice of one crying in the waste land, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.
Those who had been sent came from the Pharisees.
And they put this question to him, saying, Why then are you giving baptism if you are not the Christ, or Elijah, or the prophet?
John's answer was: I give baptism with water; but there is one among you of whom you have no knowledge;
It is he who is coming after me; I am not good enough to undo his shoes.
These things took place at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was giving baptism.
The day after, John sees Jesus coming to him and says, See, here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
This is he of whom I said, One is coming after me who is put over me because he was in existence before me.
I myself had no knowledge of him, but I came giving baptism with water so that he might be seen openly by Israel.
And John gave this witness, saying, I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove and resting on him.
I had no knowledge who he was, but he who sent me to give baptism with water said to me, The one on whom you see the Spirit coming down and resting, it is he who gives baptism with the Holy Spirit.
This I saw myself and my witness is that he is the Son of God.
The day after, John was there again with two of his disciples;
And looking at Jesus while he was walking he said, See, there is the Lamb of God!
Hearing what he said, the two disciples went after Jesus.
And Jesus, turning round, saw them coming after him and said to them, What are you looking for? They said to him, Rabbi (which is to say, Master), where are you living? +
He said to them, Come and see. They went with him then and saw where he was living; and they were with him all that day: it was then about the tenth hour of the day.
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two men who, hearing what John said, went after Jesus.
Early in the morning he came across his brother and said to him, We have made discovery! It is the Messiah! (which is to say, the Christ).
And he took him to Jesus. Looking at him fixedly Jesus said, You are Simon, the son of John; your name will be Cephas (which is to say, Peter).
The day after this, Jesus had a desire to go into Galilee. He came across Philip and said to him, Come and be my disciple.
Now Philip's town was Beth-saida, where Andrew and Peter came from.
Philip came across Nathanael and said to him, We have made a discovery! It is he of whom Moses, in the law, and the prophets were writing, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Nazareth! said Nathanael, Is it possible for any good to come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said of him, See, here is a true son of Israel in whom there is nothing false.
Nathanael said to him, Where did you get knowledge of me? In answer Jesus said, Before Philip was talking with you, while you were still under the fig-tree, I saw you.
Nathanael said to him, Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are King of Israel!
In answer Jesus said to him, You have faith because I said to you, I saw you under the fig-tree. You will see greater things than these.
And he said to him, Truly I say to you all, You will see heaven opening and God's angels going up and coming down on the Son of man.