The Testimony of John the Baptist

¹⁹ This is ^(A)the testimony of John, when ^(B)the Jews sent priests and Levites to him ^(C)from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” ²⁰ And he confessed and did not deny; and this is what he confessed: “^(D)I am not the ^[a]Christ.” ²¹ And so they asked him, “What then? Are you ^(E)Elijah?” And he *said, “I am not.” “Are you ^(F)the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” ²² Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” ²³ He said, “I am ^(G)the voice of one calling ^[b]out in the wilderness, ‘Make the way of the Lord straight,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

²⁴ And the messengers had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵ They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the ^[c]Christ, nor Elijah, nor ^(H)the Prophet?” ²⁶ John answered them, saying, “^(I)I baptize ^[d]in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. ²⁷ It is ^(J)He who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy even to untie the ^(K)strap of His sandal.” ²⁸ These things took place in Bethany ^(L)beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing people.

²⁹ The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him, and *said, “Behold, ^(M)the Lamb of God who ^(N)takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is He in behalf of whom I said, ‘^(O)After me is coming a Man who has proved to be ^[e]my superior, ^(P)because He existed before me.’ ³¹ And I did not recognize ^[f]Him, but so that He would be revealed to Israel, I came baptizing ^[g]in water.” ³² And John ^(Q)testified, saying, “^(R)I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. ³³ And I did not recognize ^[h]Him, but He who sent me to baptize ^[i]in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, ^(S)this is the One who baptizes ^[j]in the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ And I myself have seen, and have testified that this is ^(T)the ^[k]Son of God.”

Jesus’ Public Ministry; First Converts

³⁵ Again ^(U)the next day John was standing ^[l]with two of his disciples, ³⁶ and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and *said, “Behold, ^(V)the Lamb of God!” ³⁷ And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

John the Baptist’s Last Testimony

²² After these things Jesus and His ^(A)disciples came into the land of Judea; and there He was spending time with them and ^(B)baptizing. ²³ Now John also was baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there; and people were coming and being baptized— ²⁴ for ^(C)John had not yet been thrown into prison.

²⁵ Then a matter of dispute developed on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about ^[a](D)purification. ²⁶ And they came to John and said to him, “^(E)Rabbi, He who was with you ^(F)beyond the Jordan, to whom you ^(G)have testified—behold, He is baptizing and all the people are coming to Him.” ²⁷ John replied, “^(H)A person can receive not even one thing unless it ^(I)has been given to him from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves ^[b]are my witnesses that I said, ‘^(J)I am not the ^[c]Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ ²⁹ He who has the bride is ^(K)the groom; but the friend of the groom, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly because of the groom’s voice. So this ^(L)joy of mine has been made full. ³⁰ He must ^[d]increase, but I must ^[e]decrease.

³¹ “^(M)He who comes from above is above all; ^(N)the one who is only from the earth is of the earth and speaks of the earth. ^(O)He who comes from heaven is above all. ³² What He has seen and heard, of this He ^(P)testifies; and ^(Q)no one accepts His testimony. ³³ The one who has accepted His testimony ^(R)has certified that God is true. ³⁴ For He whom God ^(S)sent speaks the words of God; ^(T)for He does not give the Spirit ^[f]sparingly. ^35 (U)The Father loves the Son and ^(V)has entrusted all things to His hand. ³⁶ The one who ^(W)believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who ^(X)does not ^[g]obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”