John 1 - Plain English Version(PEV)

The one called the Word gave life to everything

1This is the story about somebody called the Word. Before God made anything, the Word was with God, and he was just the same as God. You see, the Word was God.

2Yes, the Word was with God before anything happened.

3God used the Word to make everything. God and the Word worked together, and they made everything, everywhere.

4The Word had the power to give life to everything, and he showed people what is true about God. You see, the Word was a light for everyone.

5That light shines out into the darkness and makes everything clear, and the darkness can’t put it out.

John the Baptiser told people about God’s special man

6One day, God sent a man called John to talk to people.

24-25Some of those men from Jerusalem were from the Pharisee mob, that were strong for the law. They said to John, “You say that you are not the special man that God promised to send, called the Christ. And you say that you are not Elijah, or the messenger that God promised. So why do you baptise people? Why do you take them through that special washing ceremony?”

26-27John said to them, “I baptise people with water. But I am telling you, there is somebody coming after me that you don’t know yet. He is the most important one. I am not good enough to untie his shoes.”

28That all happened at a place called Bethany, on the east side of the Jordan River. John was baptising people there.

John the Baptiser told people about Jesus

29The next day, John saw Jesus coming to him. John said to the people there, “Look at that man. He is the special one that God sent. You know how people kill a young sheep to pay for the bad things they did. Well, God sent this man to die, like those young sheep. He is going to let people kill him, to pay for all the bad things that everybody in the world does.

30He is the man I told you about. I said, ‘He is a lot greater than I am. You see, he was always alive, even before I was born.’

31-34At first I didn’t know that this was the special man that God promised to send. You see, God sent me to you Israel people to baptise you with water and get you ready, so that God can show that man to you.

I didn’t know which man was the right one, but God told me this, ‘You will see the Holy Spirit coming down on to one man, and the spirit will stay on that man. Then you will know that he is the special man that I sent. He is the one that will put the Holy Spirit into people, that is, he will baptise them with the Holy Spirit.’

And I saw it happen like God said. I saw the Holy Spirit come down from heaven. It looked like a pigeon. It came down and sat on him. So I’m telling you, this man is God’s son.”

Some men started to follow Jesus

35The next day, John was standing near the Jordan River again.

36He saw Jesus walking by, and John said to 2 of his followers, “Look at that man. He is the special one that God sent to die for us. You know that God told people to kill young sheep, to pay for the wrong things they did. Well, this man will die for us, just like those young sheep died for people.”

37John’s 2 followers heard him say that about Jesus, so they left John and followed Jesus.

38Jesus turned around and saw them, and he asked them, “What are you looking for? Why are you following me?”

The men said, “Rabbi, where is your camp?” (In their language, that word Rabbi means Teacher.)

39Jesus said, “Come and see.” So the men followed Jesus to his camp, and they stayed with him that day. It was about 4 o’clock in the afternoon.

40-41Andrew was one of the 2 men that left John and followed Jesus. Andrew went quickly and found his brother, Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah.” (In their language that word Messiah means Christ. Both of those words mean the special man that God promised to send.)

42So Andrew took Simon to meet Jesus.

Jesus looked at Simon and said, “You are Simon and your father’s name is John. I will call you Kefas.” (In their language, that word Kefas means stone, and Peter is another name that means stone, so we usually call him Peter.)

Jesus told Philip and Nathaniel to follow him

43The next day, Jesus wanted to go north, to Galilee country. But first he found a man called Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”

44Philip was from a town called Bethsayida, the same town that Andrew and Peter were from.

45Philip went to his friend Nathaniel and said to him, “We have found the special man that Moses wrote about in our Jewish law books. And God’s other messengers talked about this man too. His name is Jesus. He is from the town called Nazareth, and he is the son of Joseph.”

46Nathaniel didn’t believe the words he heard, and he said, “No, Nazareth is a rubbish place. Nothing good ever comes from there.”

But Philip said, “Come and meet him.”

47Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to meet him. Jesus said to the other people there, “Here is a proper Israel man. He doesn’t try to trick anyone.”

48Nathaniel asked Jesus, “How do you know me?”

Jesus said, “I knew you even before Philip found you. I saw you while you were under that fruit tree.”

49Nathaniel said, “Teacher. You are the one we have been waiting for. You are the son of God, and you will be the big boss for all of us Israel people.”

50Jesus asked him, “Do you believe in me because I said that I saw you under a fruit tree? Well, later on, you will see me do even greater things.”

51Then Jesus said to everyone there, “Listen, I am telling you straight, one day you will see heaven open up, and you will see God’s angel messengers going up into heaven, and you will see them coming down on to me. I am God’s special man from heaven.”