The Testimony of John

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

24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the [b]Christ, nor Elijah, nor (H)the Prophet?” 26 John answered them saying, “(I)I baptize [c]in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. 27 It is (J)He who comes after me, the (K)thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany (L)beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29 The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, (M)the Lamb of God who (N)takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘(O)After me comes a Man who [d]has a higher rank than I, (P)for He existed before me.’ 31 I did not recognize [e]Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing [f]in water.” 32 John (Q)testified saying, “(R)I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not recognize [g]Him, but He who sent me to baptize [h]in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, (S)this is the One who baptizes [i]in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I myself have seen, and have testified that this is (T)the Son of God.”

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Footnotes

  1. John 1:20 I.e. the Messiah
  2. John 1:25 I.e. Messiah
  3. John 1:26 The Gr here can be translated in, with or by
  4. John 1:30 Lit has become before me
  5. John 1:31 I.e. as the Messiah
  6. John 1:31 The Gr here can be translated in, with or by
  7. John 1:33 I.e. as the Messiah
  8. John 1:33 The Gr here can be translated in, with or by
  9. John 1:33 The Gr here can be translated in, with or by

John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

19 Now this was John’s(A) testimony when the Jewish leaders[a](B) in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”(C)

21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”(D)

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”(E)

He answered, “No.”

22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness,(F) ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”[b](G)

24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

26 “I baptize with[c] water,”(H) John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me,(I) the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”(J)

28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan,(K) where John was baptizing.

John Testifies About Jesus

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God,(L) who takes away the sin of the world!(M) 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’(N) 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.(O) 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water(P) told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’(Q) 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”[d](R)

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Footnotes

  1. John 1:19 The Greek term traditionally translated the Jews (hoi Ioudaioi) refers here and elsewhere in John’s Gospel to those Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus; also in 5:10, 15, 16; 7:1, 11, 13; 9:22; 18:14, 28, 36; 19:7, 12, 31, 38; 20:19.
  2. John 1:23 Isaiah 40:3
  3. John 1:26 Or in; also in verses 31 and 33 (twice)
  4. John 1:34 See Isaiah 42:1; many manuscripts is the Son of God.