John 1

1 ¹For di beginning di Word dey, and di Word dey with our Papa, and di Word na God. ²Na im dey with our Papa for di beginning. 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 no fit quench am.

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

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

John, Who You Be?

¹⁹Na dis be John im testimony, wen di Jews send priests and Levites from Jerusalem go ask am, "Who you be?" ²⁰Im confess, im no deny, but im confess say, "I no be di Christ."

²¹So dem ask am, "Den wetin—you be Elijah?" Im talk say, "I no be." "You be di Prophet?" Im answer say, "No."

²²So dem ask, "Who you be? Give us answer make we take give di people wey send us. Wetin you talk about yourself?"

²³Im talk say, "I be voice wey dey shout for di wilderness say, ‘Make Oga im road straight,’ as di prophet Isaiah talk."

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

²⁶John answer dem say, "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 fit even loose im sandal rope." ²⁸Dis things happen for Bethany, for di other side of Jordan, where John dey baptize.

See am, di Lamb

²⁹Di next day, John see Jesus dey come towards am, im talk say, "Look! Di Lamb of our Papa—Jesus—wey dey carry di sin of di world commot!" ^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 fulfil dat promise for im own Pikin. ³⁰Na dis one I dey talk about: ‘One man dey come after me wey pass me, because im dey before I come dey.’ ³¹I no know am, but I come dey baptize with water so dat dem go show am to Israel. ³²John talk say: "I see di Holy Spirit come down from heaven like dove and stay on top am." ³³I no know am, but di one wey send me come baptize with water tell me say, ‘Di one wey you go see di Holy Spirit come down and stay on top am — na im be di one wey dey baptize with di Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴"And I don see am and I don testify say na dis one be di Pikin of our Papa." ^d d v34 John im testimony call Jesus di Pikin of our Papa — no be just "one pikin of God" but di Pikin wey no dey end, wey di Papa don love since before di world start.

Come and See

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

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

³⁹Im tell dem say, "Come and una go see." So dem go and see where im dey stay, and dem remain with am dat day—around four for afternoon.

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

⁴²Im bring am come to Jesus. Jesus look am and talk say, "You be Simon, di son of John. Dem go call you Cephas" (wey mean Peter).

⁴³Di next day, Jesus decide to go Galilee. Im find Philip and talk say, "Follow me."

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

⁴⁶Nathanael talk say, "Anything good fit come from Nazareth?" Philip talk say, "Come and see."

⁴⁷Jesus see Nathanael dey come and talk about am say, "Look — na true Israelite, wey no get deceit for inside am!"

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

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

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