John 3:22-30

New American Standard Bible

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.