Sahidic Coptic John 1:1-18 and Contemporary English translation

1 ϩΝ ΤЄϩΟΥЄΙΤЄ ΝЄϤϢΟΟΠ ΝϬΙΠϢΑϪЄ. ΑΥШ ΠϢΑϪЄ ΝЄϤϢΟΟΠ ΝΝΑϩΡΜ ΠΝΟΥΤЄ. ΑΥШ ΝЄΥΝΟΥΤЄ ΠЄ ΠϢΑϪЄ. 2 ΠΑΙ ϩΝ ΤЄϩΟΥЄΙΤЄ ΝЄϤϢΟΟΠ ϩΑΤΜ ΠΝΟΥΤЄ. 3 ΝΚΑ ΝΙΜ ΑΥϢШΠЄ ЄβΟλ ϩΙΤΟΟΤϤ. ΑΥШ ΑϪΝΤϤ ΜΠЄ λΑΑΥ ϢШΠЄ. ΠЄΝΤΑϤϢШΠЄ 4 ϩΡΑΙ ΝϩΗΤϤ ΠЄ ΠШΝϩ. ΑΥШ ΠШΝϩ ΠЄ ΠΟΥΟЄΙΝ ΝΝΡШΜЄ. 5 ΑΥШ ΠΟΥΟЄΙΝ ЄϤΡΟΥΟЄΙΝ ϩΜ ΠΚΑΚЄ. ΑΥШ ΜΠЄ ΠΚΑΚЄ ΤΑϩΟϤ.

6 ΑϤϢШΠЄ ΝϬΙΟΥΡШΜЄ ЄΑΥΤΝΝΟΥΥϤ ЄβΟλ ϩΙΤΜ ΠΝΟΥΤЄ. ЄΠЄϤΡΑΝ ΠЄ ΙШϩΑΝΝΗС. 7 ΠΑΙ ΑϤЄΙ ЄΥΜΝΤΜΝΤΡЄ. ϪЄΚΑС ЄϤЄΡΜΝΤΡЄ ЄΤβЄ ΠΟΥΟЄΙΝ. ϪЄΚΑС ЄΡЄ ΟΥΟΝ ΝΙΜ ΠΙСΤЄΥЄ ЄβΟλ ϩΙΤΟΟΤϤ. 8 ΝЄ ΠЄΤΜΜΑΥ ΑΝ ΠΟΥΟЄΙΝ. ΑλλΑ ϪЄΚΑС ΝΤΟϤ ЄϤЄΡΜΝΤΡЄ ЄΤβЄ ΠΟΥΟЄΙΝ. 9 ΠΟΥΟЄΙΝ ΜΜЄ ЄΤΡΟΥΟЄΙΝ ЄΡШΜЄ ΝΙΜ ΠЄ ЄϤΝΗΥ ЄΠΚΟСΜΟС. 10 ΝЄϤϩΜ ΠΚΟСΜΟС ΠЄ. ΑΥШ ΝΤΑ ΠΚΟСΜΟС ϢШΠЄ ЄβΟλ ϩΙΤΟΟΤϤ. ΑΥШ ΜΠЄ ΠΚΟСΜΟС СΟΥШΝϤ. 11 ΑϤЄΙ ϢΑ ΝЄΤЄΝΟΥϤ ΝЄ. ΑΥШ ΜΠЄ ΝЄΤЄΝΟΥϤ ΝЄ ϪΙΤϤ. 12 ΝЄΝΤΑΥϪΙΤϤ ΔЄ ΑϤϮ ΝΑΥ ΝΤЄξΟΥСΙΑ ЄΤΡЄΥϢШΠЄ ΝϢΗΡЄ ΝΤЄ ΠΝΟΥΤЄ. ΝЄΤΠΙСΤЄΥЄ ЄΠЄϤΡΑΝ. 13 ΝΑΙ ΝϩЄΝЄβΟλ ΑΝ ΝЄ ϩΝ ΟΥШϢ ΝСΝΟϤ ϩΙ СΑΡξ. ΟΥΔЄ ЄβΟλ ΑΝ ϩΜ ΠΟΥШϢ ΝΡШΜЄ. ΑλλΑ ΝΤΑΥϪΠΟΟΥ ЄβΟλ ϩΜ ΠΝΟΥΤЄ.

14 ΑΥШ ΠϢΑϪЄ ΑϤΡСΑΡξ. ΑϤΟΥШϩ ΝΜΜΑΝ. ΑΥШ ΑΝΝΑΥ ЄΠЄϤЄΟΟΥ. ΝΘЄ ΜΠЄΟΟΥ ΝΟΥϢΗΡЄ ΝΟΥШΤ ЄβΟλ ϩΙΤΜ ΠЄϤЄΙШΤ. ЄϤϪΗΚ ЄβΟλ ΝΧΑΡΙС ϩΙ ΜЄ. 15 ΙШϩΑΝΝΗС ЄΡΜΝΤΡЄ ЄΤβΗΗΤϤ. ΑΥШ ϤΑϢΚΑΚ ЄβΟλ ЄϤϪШ ΜΜΟС. ϪЄ ΠΑΙ ΠЄΝΤΑΙϪΟΟС ЄΤβΗΗΤϤ. ϪЄ ΠЄΤΝΗΥ ΜΝΝϹШΙ ΑϤϢШΠЄ ϩΑΤΑϩΗ. ϪЄ ΝЄϤΟ ΝϢΟΡΠ ЄΡΟΙ ΠЄ. 16 ϪЄ ЄβΟλ ϩΜ ΠЄϤϪШΚ ΑΝΟΝ ΤΗΡΝ ΝΤΑΝϪΙ ΟΥШΝϩ ΑΥШ ΟΥΧΑΡΙС ЄΠΜΑ ΝΟΥΧΑΡΙС. 17 ϪЄ ΠΝΟΜΟС ΝΤΑΥΤΑΑϤ ЄβΟλ ϩΙΤΜ ΜШΥСΗС. ΤЄΧΑΡΙС ϩШШС ΑΥШ ΤΜЄ ΝΤΑСϢШΠЄ ЄβΟλ ϩΙΤΜ ΙΗСΟΥС ΠЄΧΡΙСΤΟС. 18 ΠΝΟΥΤЄ ΜΠЄ λΑΑΥ ΝΑΥ ЄΡΟϤ ЄΝЄϩ. ΠΝΟΥΤЄ ΠϢΗΡЄ ΝΟΥШΤ ΠЄΤϢΟΟΠ ϩΝ ΚΟΥΝϤ ΜΠЄϤЄΙШΤ ΠЄΤΜΜΑΥ ΠЄΝΤΑϤϢΑϪЄ ЄΡΟϤ.

Contemporary English translation (2006)

1. In the beginning the Word existed. The Word existed in the presence of God, and the Word was a divine being. 2. This one existed in the beginning with God. 3. All things came into existence through him; without him nothing that exists came to be. What came to be 4. through him is life, the life that is the light of mankind. 5. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overtake it.

6. There came a man who was sent by God, his name is John. 7. This one came to bear witness, to bear witness about the light, so that everyone may actively believe through him. 8. He was not the light, but his purpose was to bear witness about the light.

9. The real light which gives light to everyone was about to come into the world. 10. He was in the world, the world which came into existence through him, but the world did not know him.

10. He came to those who were his own, yet those who were his own did not receive him. 12. But he gave authority to become children of God to those who did receive him, to those actively believing in his name. 13. The origin of these was not flesh and blood, nor human will; they were begotten from God.

14. The Word became flesh and lived among us. We saw his dignity, the dignity possessed by a Father’s only Son; he was filled with divine loving-kindness and truth. 15. John bore witness about him, calling out and declaring, “This was the one concerning whom I said, ‘He who comes behind me has come to be ahead of me, because he existed prior to me.’” 16. From his fullness we all received life, and divine loving-kindness upon divine loving-kindness. 17. The Law was given through Moses, but the divine loving kindness and the truth came to be though Jesus, the Christ. 18. No one has ever seen God at any time. The divine being, the only Son, who is in the bosom of his Father, is the one who has revealed him.

Notes:

1. The Word was a divine being. Or, "the Word was a god" or "the Word was divine."

14. Dignity. Or, "glory."

16. Divine loving-kindness. Or, "unmerited favor."

18. The only Son. Or, "the unique Son."