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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)

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Footnotes

  1. John 3:25 An immersion baptism was one of the requirements for a convert to Judaism, and John the Baptist had most likely taken over the ritual, giving it new meaning in his own ministry. Jewish tradition specified that there had to be enough water to completely cover a person, and that it had to be collected naturally.

22 After meta this houtos Jesus Iēsous and kai his autos disciples mathētēs went erchomai · ho · ho into eis the ho Judean Ioudaios countryside , and kai he was there ekei with meta them autos for a time diatribō and kai was baptizing baptizō. 23 Now de John Iōannēs also kai was eimi · ho baptizing baptizō at en Aenon Ainōn near engys · ho Salim, because hoti there were eimi many polys springs hydōr there ekei, and kai people kept coming paraginomai · kai to be baptized baptizō. 24 ( John Iōannēs had eimi not oupō yet been thrown ballō into eis · ho prison phylakē.) · ho

25 Now oun an argument zētēsis about peri ritual cleansing katharismos arose ginomai between meta some ek of ho John’ s Iōannēs disciples mathētēs and a certain Jew Ioudaios. 26 So kai they came erchomai to pros · ho John Iōannēs and kai said legō to him autos, “ Rabbi rhabbi, that man who hos was eimi with meta you sy on the far peran side of the ho Jordan Iordanēs, the one to whom hos you sy bore witness martyreō well ide, he houtos is baptizing baptizō, and kai everyone pas is going erchomai to pros him autos!” 27 John Iōannēs responded apokrinomai, · kai saying legō, “A man anthrōpos cannot ou dynamai receive lambanō anything oude heis unless ean mē it has been eimi given didōmi to him autos from ek · ho heaven ouranos. 28 You hymeis yourselves autos bear me egō witness martyreō that hoti I said legō, ‘ I egō am eimi not ou the ho Christ Christos,’ but alla rather , ‘ I am eimi the one sent apostellō ahead emprosthen of him ekeinos.’ 29 It is eimi the ho bridegroom nymphios who has echō the ho bride nymphē; but de the ho friend philos of the ho bridegroom nymphios, who ho stands histēmi by and kai listens akouō for him autos, rejoices greatly chara when dia he hears the ho bridegroom’ s nymphios voice phōnē. · ho Therefore oun this houtos · ho joy chara · ho of mine emos is now complete plēroō. 30 He ekeinos must dei increase auxanō, but de I egō must decrease elattoō.”

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