John 1:1-51
1 The Word be dey from beginning, and the Word be dey with God and the Word be like God.
2 This one be dey with God from the beginning.
3 God use-am make everything, e no get anything wey dey wey God no use-am make.
The thing wey don dey
4 wey God use-am make, na life and the life na light for people.
5 And the light de shine for darkness, but the darkness no fit make the light stop to shine.
6 E get one man wey God send, im name na John.
7 This man come as witness, so that e go tell people the truth about the light and so that all kind of people go believe because of-am.
8 No be-am be the light, but them send-am to tell people the truth about that light.
9 Time be don de reach for the real light wey de give light to any kind person, to come the world.
10 E be dey the world, and na im God use make the world, but the world no know-am.
11 E come im own place but im own people no accept-am.
12 But for all the people wey accept-am, e give them the right to be God children because them put faith for im name.
13 And no be blood or wetin their papa and mama want, or wetin any man want, na im make them be children of God, but na because of wetin God want.
14 The Word come be person and e stay with us, and we see im glory, the kind glory wey special son de get from im papa and God favor* full im body and e de always talk the truth.
15 (John tell people about-am, yes, e talk with loud voice say: “Na this person I talk about when I talk say, ‘The person wey de come for my back don pass me go front, because e don dey before me.’”)
16 Because from the special favor wey full im body, all of us don get special favor wey no de finish.
17 Because na Moses God use give us the Law, but na Jesus Christ e use give us special favor and truth.
18 Nobody don ever see God for any time, na only the special son wey be like God, wey dey near the Papa,* na im don explain who E be.
19 Na wetin John talk be this when Jew people send priests and Levite people from Jerusalem go ask-am say: “Who you be?”
20 And e gree, e no deny-am, e talk say: “No be me be the Christ.”
21 Them come ask-am say: “So, you be E·liʹjah?” E answer them say: “I no be E·liʹjah.” “You be the Prophet?” E still answer say: “No!”
22 Them come ask-am say: “Who you be? Tell us so that we go know wetin we go tell the people wey send us. Wetin you fit talk about yourself?”
23 E come talk say: “I be the voice of person wey de use loud voice talk for wilderness say, ‘Make una make Jehovah road straight,’ just as Isaiah the prophet talk.”
24 The people wey go meet-am, na Pharisee people send them.
25 Them come de ask-am say: “So why you de baptize people, if you no be the Christ or E·liʹjah or the Prophet?”
26 John come answer them say: “I de use water baptize people, but one person dey among una wey una no know,
27 this person de come for my back, and I no even reach to loose the rope of im sandal.”
28 This things happen for Bethʹa·ny, wey dey for the other side of Jordan, the place wey John be de baptize people.
29 The next day, e see Jesus de come meet-am, e come talk say: “See! the Lamb of God, wey de carry the sin of the world comot!
30 Na this person I talk about when I talk say: ‘One man dey my back de come, wey don pass me go front, because e don dey before me.’
31 Even me self be no know-am, but the reason why I de use water baptize people na to make Israel know-am.”
32 John still talk wetin show say this one na true. E talk say: “I see as the spirit de come down from heaven like dove, and e stay ontop-am.
33 Even me be no know-am, but the Person wey send me make I use water baptize people tell me say: ‘Anybody wey you see say the spirit come ontop and e stay ontop-am, na this one be the person wey go baptize people with holy spirit.’
34 I don see-am and I don talk-am say na the Son of God be this.”
35 The next day, John stand for that place again, with two of im disciples,
36 and as e see Jesus de waka pass, e come talk say: “See, the Lamb of God!”
37 When the two disciples hear wetin e talk, them come follow Jesus.
38 Jesus come turn, and see say them de follow-am, e come ask them say: “Wetin una de find?” Them come ask-am say: “Rabbi, (wey mean, “Teacher” when them translate-am), where you de stay?”
39 E come tell them say: “Make una come see-am.” Them come go, and see where e de stay, and them stay with-am that day. This time na around the tenth hour.*
40 Andrew, wey be the brother of Simon Peter na one of the two disciples wey hear wetin John talk and follow Jesus.
41 Na im own brother wey be Simon e first meet and tell-am say: “We don see the Mes·siʹah” (wey mean, “Christ” when them translate-am.)
42 E come carry-am come meet Jesus. When Jesus look-am, e talk say: “You be Simon, the son of John, them go de call you Ceʹphas” (wey them translate as “Peter”).
43 The next day, Jesus be want comot go Galʹi·lee, e come see Philip and tell-am say: “Come de follow me.”
44 Philip come from Beth·saʹi·da, and na this city Andrew and Peter come from too.
45 Philip see Na·thanʹa·el and tell-am say: “We don see the person wey Moses write about for the Law, and wey the Prophets write about: Jesus, the son of Joseph, wey come from Nazʹa·reth.”
46 But Na·thanʹa·el ask-am say: “Any good thing fit come from Nazʹa·reth?” Then Philip tell-am say: “Come see.”
47 When Jesus see Na·thanʹa·el de come meet-am, e talk say: “See, this na real Israel person wey no de pretend at all.”
48 Na·thanʹa·el come ask-am say: “How you take know me?” Jesus come answer-am say: “I see you before Philip call you, when you dey under the fig tree.”
49 Na·thanʹa·el come talk say: “Rabbi, you be the Son of God, na you be the King of Israel.”
50 Jesus come tell-am say: “Na because I tell you say I see you under fig tree na im make you believe? You go see things wey big pass this ones.”
51 Then e tell-am say: “True-true, I de tell una say, una go see heaven wey open, and the angels of God wey de go up and de come down to meet the Son of man.”
Footnotes
^ Or “special favor.”
^ Or “near the Papa chest.” This one de talk about the position of person wey get special favor.
^ This one na, around 4 o’clock for afternoon.
