John the Baptist’s Last Witness

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 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people were coming and were being baptized— ²⁴ for ^(C)John had not yet been thrown into prison.

²⁵ Therefore there arose a debate between John’s disciples and a Jew about ^(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 borne witness, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him.” ²⁷ John answered and said, “^(H)A man can receive nothing unless it ^(I)has been given him from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves ^[a]are my witnesses that I said, ‘^(J)I am not the ^[b]Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ ²⁹ He who has the bride is ^(K)the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this ^(L)joy of mine has been made full. ³⁰ He must increase, but I must decrease.