⁵ People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.

⁵ The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

³⁵ John was a lamp that burned and gave light,^(A) and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

²³ Now John^(A) also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized.

Additional Teachings

¹⁶ “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John.^(A) Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached,^(B) and everyone is forcing their way into it.

⁷ John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers!^(A) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^(B)

⁷ As John’s^(A) disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness^(B) to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ⁸ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. ⁹ Then what did you go out to see? A prophet?^(C) Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is the one about whom it is written:

¹¹ Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence,^[b] and violent people have been raiding it.

²⁵ Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,^[a] Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.^(A)