John 3:22-30

Amplified Bible

John’s Last Testimony

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

²⁵ Therefore there arose a controversy between John’s disciples and a Jew in regard to ^[a]purification (ceremonial washing). ²⁶ So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi (Teacher), the Man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan [at the Jordan River crossing]—and to whom you have testified—look, He is baptizing too, and everyone is going to Him!” ²⁷ John replied, “A man can receive nothing [he can claim nothing at all] unless it has been granted to him from heaven [for there is no other source than the sovereign will of God]. ²⁸ You yourselves are my witnesses that I stated, ‘I am not the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed),’ but, ‘I have [only] been sent ahead of Him [as His appointed forerunner and messenger to announce and proclaim His coming].’^{(B) 29} He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens to him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this pleasure and joy of mine is now complete.^{(C) 30} He must increase [in prominence], but I must decrease.^(D)