^4 (A)John appeared, baptizing in ^(B)the wilderness and proclaiming ^(C)a baptism of ^(D)repentance ^(E)for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, ^(F)confessing their sins. ⁶ Now John was ^(G)clothed with camel's hair and ^(H)wore a leather belt around his waist and ate ^(I)locusts and ^(J)wild honey. ⁷ And he preached, saying, ^(K)“After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ^8 (L)I have baptized you with water, but ^(M)he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

¹⁸ For Christ also ^(A)suffered^{[a] (B)}once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, ^(C)that he might bring us to God, being put to death ^(D)in the flesh but made alive ^(E)in the spirit, ¹⁹ in which^[b] he went and ^(F)proclaimed^[c] to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ because^[d] they formerly did not obey, ^(G)when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, ^(H)while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, ^(I)eight persons, were brought safely through water. ²¹ Baptism, which corresponds to this, ^(J)now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but ^(K)as an appeal to God for a good conscience, ^(L)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and ^(M)is at the right hand of God, ^(N)with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.