³ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

⁴ As it is written in ^(A)the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

²⁸ You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ^(A)‘I am not the Christ, but ^(B)I have been sent before him.’ ^29 (C)The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. ^(D)The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, ^(E)rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. ^30 (F)He must increase, but I must decrease.”^[a]

^31 (G)He who comes from above ^(H)is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and ^(I)speaks in an earthly way. ^(J)He who comes from heaven ^(K)is above all. ^32 (L)He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, ^(M)yet no one receives his testimony. ³³ Whoever receives his testimony ^(N)sets his seal to this, ^(O)that God is true. ³⁴ For he whom ^(P)God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit ^(Q)without measure. ^35 (R)The Father loves the Son and ^(S)has given all things into his hand. ^36 (T)Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; ^(U)whoever does not obey the Son shall not ^(V)see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

The Testimony of John the Baptist

¹⁹ And this is the ^(A)testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ^(B)“Who are you?” ^20 (C)He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” ²¹ And they asked him, “What then? ^(D)Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you ^(E)the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” ²² So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” ²³ He said, “I am ^(F)the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight^[a] the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

²⁴ (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) ²⁵ They asked him, ^(G)“Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” ²⁶ John answered them, ^(H)“I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, ²⁷ even ^(I)he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” ²⁸ These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Behold, the Lamb of God

²⁹ The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, ^(J)the Lamb of God, who ^(K)takes away the sin ^(L)of the world! ³⁰ This is he of whom I said, ^(M)‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ³¹ I myself did not know him, but ^(N)for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” ³² And John ^(O)bore witness: ^(P)“I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and ^(Q)it remained on him. ³³ I myself did not know him, but ^(R)he who sent me to baptize ^(S)with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, ^(T)this is he who baptizes ^(U)with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son^[b] of God.”

¹⁵ (^(A)John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ^(B)‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”)