John 3:22-30

Lexham English Bible

Additional Testimony by John the Baptist About Jesus

²² After these things Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory, and there he spent time with them and was baptizing. ²³ Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and they were coming and were being baptized. ²⁴ (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.)

²⁵ So a dispute occurred on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew^[a] concerning purification. ²⁶ And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, about whom you testified—look, this one is baptizing, and all are coming to him!”

²⁷ John answered and said, “A man can receive not one thing unless it is granted to him from heaven! ²⁸ You yourselves testify about me that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I am sent before that one.’ ²⁹ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly^[b] because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete. ³⁰ It is necessary for that one to increase, but for me to decrease.”