^24 (A)after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

²² beginning from the baptism of John to that day when ^(A)He was taken up from us, one of these must ^(B)become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

³ And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?”

So they said, ^(A)“Into John’s baptism.”

⁴ Then Paul said, ^(B)“John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”

³⁷ that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and ^(A)began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:

³³ You have sent to John, ^(A)and he has borne witness to the truth. ³⁴ Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. ³⁵ He was the burning and ^(B)shining lamp, and ^(C)you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. ³⁶ But ^(D)I have a greater witness than John’s; for ^(E)the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very ^(F)works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.

²⁵ Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. ²⁶ And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, ^(A)to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all ^(B)are coming to Him!”

²⁷ John answered and said, ^(C)“A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ^(D)‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ^(E)‘I have been sent before Him.’ ^29 (F)He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but ^(G)the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. ^30 (H)He must increase, but I must decrease. ^31 (I)He who comes from above ^(J)is above all; ^(K)he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. ^(L)He who comes from heaven is above all. ³² And ^(M)what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. ³³ He who has received His testimony ^(N)has certified that God is true. ^34 (O)For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit ^(P)by measure. ^35 (Q)The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. ^36 (R)He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the ^(S)wrath of God abides on him.”

^15 (A)John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ^(B)‘He who comes after me ^[a]is preferred before me, ^(C)for He was before me.’ ”

^16 [b]And of His ^(D)fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷ For ^(E)the law was given through Moses, but ^(F)grace and ^(G)truth came through Jesus Christ. ^18 (H)No one has seen God at any time. ^(I)The only begotten ^[c]Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

John’s Witness: The True Light

⁶ There was a ^(A)man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ This man came for a ^(B)witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might ^(C)believe. ⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that ^(D)Light.

^2 [a]while ^(A)Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to ^(B)John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. ^3 (C)And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance ^(D)for the remission of sins, ⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

John Preaches to the People^(G)

⁷ Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, ^(H)“Brood^[b] of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Therefore bear fruits ^(I)worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. ⁹ And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore ^(J)every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰ So the people asked him, saying, ^(K)“What shall we do then?”

¹¹ He answered and said to them, ^(L)“He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, ^(M)let him do likewise.”

¹² Then ^(N)tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”

¹³ And he said to them, ^(O)“Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”

¹⁴ Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?”

So he said to them, “Do not ^[c]intimidate anyone ^(P)or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”

¹⁵ Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, ¹⁶ John answered, saying to all, ^(Q)“I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will ^(R)baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and ^(S)gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

¹⁸ And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. ^19 (T)But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his ^[d]brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, ²⁰ also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.