JMNT(i)
1 Within a beginning (or: In union with Headship and Sovereignty)
there was the Logos (the Word; the Thought; the collection of thoughts; the Idea; the Reason; the discourse; the communication; the verbal expression).
And the Logos (the idea; the thought; the expression; the Word)
was facing, [
directed, and moving]
toward, (or: continued being face to face with)
God. And the Logos (the Word; the thought; the idea; the reason; the expression)
continued being God.
(or: Originally, within the midst of the first principle, the Word was existing and continued to be, and the Word was being [projected] toward God. And this Word, It was existing actually being God;
or: In command was Reason, and Reason was staying with God, for Reason was just what God was;
or: The Thought was in the midst of [the] Source, the Thought was oriented toward Deity, and the Thought was [an extension of] Deity;
or: In beginning, the collected and put side by side Thoughts continued in progressive existence, and the collected and put side by side Thoughts continued being a progression to God, and God {“the Divine Mystery” – Paul Tillich's definition of
theos} was in continued existence being those collected and put side by side Thoughts;
or: In union with [the] beginning there was the continued existence of the Idea, and the Idea was continued existence face to face with God, and the Idea continued in existence being “the Divine Mystery;”
or: In beginning, the Word continued Being. Then the Word was Being directed toward God. And yet the Word was Being God;
or: Within the power of beginning – which is the controlling principle and power of the entire process – there existed the Idea, and the Idea was aimed at and moving toward God.
Also, the Idea existed being God).
2 This (or: This One)
was continuing in existence, within a power of beginning and in union with Headship and Sovereign principle, facing [
directed, and moving]
toward (or: staying with)
God.
3 All things (or: All humanity; [The] whole)
come to be (or: was at some time birthed; occur; or: came to be; were birthed; or: suddenly happened)
through and by means of It (i.e., the Word; or: Him),
and apart from It (or: Him)
not even one thing comes into being (occurs; was birthed; came into being; happens)
which has come into being (which has occurred; which has happened).
4 Within It (or: Him),
life was continuing and progressively existing (or: In It was life [as a source]; [Aleph, D and others witnesses read present tense: In union with it there continues being life; Life progressively exists within the midst of It]).
And the life was continuing being, and began progressively existing as, the Light of mankind (or: Furthermore, the Light progressively came to be the life known as "humanity," and was for human beings; or: Then the life was existing being the light from the humans).
5 And the Light is constantly shining in the dim and shadowed places, and keeps on progressively giving light within the gloomy darkness where there is no light (or: within the midst the obscurity of The Darkness where there is no light of The Day; or: = in the ignorant condition or system).
And yet the darkness does not grasp or receive it on the same level (or: Furthermore, the Darkness did not take it down, so as to overcome it or put it out; or: = the ignorant condition or system would have none of it, nor receive it down into itself [in order to perceive it]; But that darkness does not correspondingly accept It nor commensurately take It in hand so as to follow the pattern or be in line with Its bidding).
6 A man came to be (was birthed),
being one having been sent forth with a mission, as a representative, from God’s side (or: having been commissioned as an emissary and sent forth from beside God; having been sent forth to the side, as an envoy, whose source was God);
a name for him: John.
7 This one came into a testimony (or: went to witness; came for evidence),
to the end that he may give testimony (be a witness; show evidence)
about The Light, so that all humanity (or: everyone)
would at some point come to believe and trust through him (or: by means of it).
8 That person (= He)
was not The Light, but rather [
he came]
so that he could give testimony (would be a witness; should present evidence)
about The Light.
9 It was (or: He was, and continued being)
the True and Genuine Light which (or: Who)
is continuously (repeatedly; progressively)
enlightening (giving light to)
every person (or: human)
continuously (repeatedly; progressively; constantly; one after another)
coming into the world (or: the ordered system of culture, religion, economics and government; or: the universe) (or: It was the real Light, progressively coming into the world {organized system}, which is progressively enlightening {or: shedding light on} every human).
10 It was (or: He was, and continued existing being)
within the world (or: ordered system),
and the world (ordered system)
came to be (or: was birthed)
through It (or: by means of Him),
and the world (ordered system; or: cosmos)
did not have intimate, experiential knowledge of It (or: did not recognize Him; had no insight into It).
11 It (or: He)
came into Its (or: His)
own things (possessions, or people),
and It’s own (or: His own)
people did not receive It (or: Him)
and take It (or: Him)
to their side.
12 Yet, as many as receive It (or: took Him) –
to the ones habitually trusting and believing into Its Name (or: His Name) –
It gives (or: He gave)
to them (or: for them; in them)
authority ([the] right; or: privilege from out of the midst of Being)
to be birthed (or: to become)
God’s children (born ones),
13 who are born (or: were given birth)
not out of bloods (or: [flows] of blood),
neither forth from the will of flesh (or: from the intent of a flesh [ceremony]),
nor yet out of the will (purpose; intent)
of an adult male, but to the contrary, from out of the midst of God!
14 And so The Word (the Idea; the Thought; the Reason; the Discourse; the Message; The Collected Expression of Rational Logic; The Logos; = the meaning, plan and rational purpose of the ordered universe)
births Itself flesh (or: became flesh; came to be [in] flesh; came into existence being flesh; = God's thought, the ground of all real existence, became projected into creation as an immanent power within the world of mankind, inhabiting flesh),
and lives in a tent, within us (or: set up a tent and tabernacled among us),
and we view (attentively gaze at; looked at so as to contemplate)
Its (or: His)
glory (Its manifestation which calls forth praise; Its appearance which creates and effects opinions in regard to the whole of human experience; = His manifest presence):
a glory (= prestige and importance; reputation and opinion-forming appearance)
as of an only-begotten one at a father’s side (or: [the] glory from [the presence of the] Father, as a uniquely-born One),
full of grace and truth (filled with favor as well as reality and genuineness).
15 John is continuing witnessing about It (or: Him)
and has cried out, repeatedly saying, "This One was the One of Whom I said, 'The One progressively coming behind me has come to be in front of me (or: has taken precedence of me),
' because He was existing first, before me (or: ‘that He was first [in place and station] in regard to me’),
"
16 because we all at some point receive (take with our hands)
from out of the result of His filling (or: the effect of Its full contents; that which fills Him up):
even grace in the place of grace (or: favor corresponding to and facing favor; a [new fresh] gracious favor in the place of and replacing [the previous] gracious favor; [one] joyous favor after and exchanged for [another] joyous favor),
17 because the Law was given through Moses, yet grace and truth are birthed (or: joyous favor and reality came to be)
through Jesus Christ.
18 No one at any time has seen God. The only-begotten (uniquely-born)
God [other MSS: Son],
the One continuously existing, [
moving, directed and leading]
into the Father’s place of safety and intimacy (bosom; breast; chest; folds of a garment; inlet or bay),
that One interprets and explains by unfolding and bringing [
Him]
out.