John 1

1 ¹For di beginning di Word bin dey, and di Word dey with our Papa, and di Word na God. ²For di beginning e bin dey with our Papa. ³Na through am dem take make everything, and without am dem no make even one thing wey dem make. ⁴For inside am life dey, and di life na di light of all people. ⁵Di light dey shine for inside di darkness, and di darkness never fit conquer am.

⁶One man come wey our Papa send, wey im name na John. ⁷E come as witness, to talk about di light, so dat everybody fit believe through John im witness. ⁸Na im no be di light, but e come to talk about di light. ⁹Di true light, wey dey give everybody light, bin dey come into di world. ¹⁰E bin dey for di world. Na through am dem take make di world, but di world no know am. ¹¹E come to im own, and im own people no receive am. ¹²But to everybody wey receive am, wey believe for im name, e give dem di right to become pikin of our Papa, ^a a v12 Dose wey receive Jesus, e give dem di right to become pikin of our Papa — dem come back into di family of di One wey send im Pikin. ¹³pikin wey no born from blood, or from di will of flesh, or from di will of man, but from our Papa.

¹⁴Di Word come turn flesh and live among us. We see im glory, di glory of im only-one Pikin wey come from di Papa, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵John talk about am, e shout say, “Na dis one I bin dey mean: di one wey dey come after me pass me, because e don dey before me.” ¹⁶Because na from im fullness we all take receive, grace on top grace. ¹⁷Because na through Moses dem take give di law; na through Jesus Christ grace and truth come. ¹⁸Nobody don ever see our Papa; im only-one Pikin, wey dey close to di Papa side, na im make us know am. ^b b v18 Na only di Pikin wey don dey close to our Papa heart from ever fit show us who our Papa truly be — every glimpse of di Papa dey come through Jesus.

Na Who You Be, John?

¹⁹Dis na John im testimony, wen di Jews send priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask am, “Na who you be?” ²⁰E confess, e no deny am, but e confess say, “I no be di Christ.”

²¹So dem ask am, “Wetin den? You be Elijah?” E say, “I no be.” “You be di Prophet?” E answer say, “No.”

²²So dem ask, “Na who you be? We need to give answer to di people wey send us. Wetin you talk about yourself?”

²³E say, “Na me be di voice of one person wey dey cry out for di wilderness say, ‘Make di way of di Oga straight,’ as di prophet Isaiah talk.”

²⁴Now na di Pharisees send dem. ²⁵Dem ask am, “Why you dey baptize den, if you no be di Christ, or Elijah, or di Prophet?”

²⁶John answer dem, “I dey baptize with water, but one person dey stand among una wey una no know, ²⁷even di one wey dey come after me, wey I no even fit worthy to loose im sandal strap.” ²⁸Dis things happen for Bethany across di Jordan, where John bin dey baptize.

See di Lamb

²⁹Di next day, wen e see Jesus dey come towards am, e say, “Look! Di Lamb of our Papa—Jesus—wey dey carry di sin of di world go! ^c c v29 John call Jesus “di Lamb of our Papa” because na di Papa dey provide di Lamb — di same Papa wey promise Abraham say “God go provide di lamb for imself,” now dey fulfill dat promise for im own Pikin. ³⁰Na dis one I bin dey mean: ‘After me one man dey come wey rank before me, because e bin dey before me.’ ³¹I no bin know am, but I come dey baptize with water so dat dem go fit reveal am to Israel.” ³²John talk say, “I see di Holy Spirit come down from heaven like dove and remain on top am. ³³I no bin know am, but di one wey send me to baptize with water tell me say, ‘Di one wey you see di Holy Spirit come down and stay on top am—na im be di one wey dey baptize with di Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴And I don see, and I don bear witness say dis one na di Pikin of our Papa.” ^d d v34 John im testimony call Jesus di Pikin of our Papa — no be just “one son of God” but di everlasting Pikin wey di Papa don love from before di world start.

Come and See

³⁵Di next day John stand again with two of im disciples, ³⁶and as e look Jesus wey dey waka pass, e say, “Look! Di Lamb of our Papa!” ³⁷Di two disciples hear am say dis thing, and dem follow Jesus.

³⁸Jesus turn, see dem dey follow am, and ask, “Wetin una dey find?” Dem say, “Rabbi” (wey mean Teacher), “where you dey stay?”

³⁹E tell dem, “Come and una go see.” So dem go and see where e dey stay, and dem remain with am dat day—about four for afternoon.

⁴⁰One of di two wey hear John talk and follow Jesus na Andrew, Simon Peter im brother. ⁴¹E first find im own brother Simon and tell am, “We don find di Messiah” (wey mean Christ).

⁴²E bring am come Jesus. Jesus look am and say, “You be Simon di son of John. Dem go call you Cephas” (wey mean Peter).

⁴³Di next day, Jesus decide to leave go Galilee. E find Philip and say, “Follow me.”

⁴⁴Now Philip na from Bethsaida, di town of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵Philip find Nathanael and tell am, “We don find di one wey Moses write about for di Law and di prophets—Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”

⁴⁶Nathanael say, “Any good thing fit come from Nazareth?” Philip say, “Come and see.”

⁴⁷Jesus see Nathanael dey come and talk about am, “Look—true Israelite, wey no get any deceit inside am!”

⁴⁸Nathanael ask am, “How you take know me?” Jesus answer, “Before Philip call you, wen you dey under di fig tree, I see you.”

⁴⁹Nathanael answer am, “Rabbi, you be di Pikin of our Papa! You be di King of Israel!”

⁵⁰Jesus answer am, “You believe because I tell you say I see you under di fig tree? You go see things wey big pass dis one.” ⁵¹E tell am, “Truly, truly, I tell you, you go see heaven open, and di angels of our Papa dey climb up and dey come down on di Pikin of Man.” ^e e v51 Jesus dey echo Jacob im vision for Bethel (Gen 28:12), where angels bin dey move between heaven and earth for ladder — now e don fulfill am for imself.