Jesus and John the Baptizer

²² After this, Jesus and his followers went into the area of Judea. There he stayed with his followers and baptized people. ²³ John was also baptizing people in Aenon, a place near Salim with plenty of water. People were going there to be baptized. ²⁴ This was before John was put in prison.

²⁵ Some of John’s followers had an argument with another Jew about religious washing.^{[a] 26} Then they came to John and said, “Teacher, remember the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River? He is the one you were telling everyone about. He is also baptizing people, and many are going to him.”

²⁷ John answered, “A person can receive only what God gives. ²⁸ You yourselves heard me say, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only the one God sent to prepare the way for him.’ ²⁹ The bride always belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who helps the bridegroom just waits and listens. He is happy just to hear the bridegroom talk. That’s how I feel now. I am so happy that he is here. ³⁰ He must become more and more important, and I must become less important.