John 1:19-34
A Voice in the Wilderness
19And this is athe witness of John, when bthe 1Jews sent to him priests and Levites cfrom Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “aI am not the 1Christ.” 21And they asked him, “What then? Are you aElijah?” And he *said, “I am not.” “Are you bthe Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22Therefore, 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?” 23He said, “I am aa voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the 1Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”
24Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25And they asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the 1Christ, nor Elijah, nor athe Prophet?” 26John answered them, saying, “aI baptize with water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. 27“This One is aHe who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy to untie the bstrap of His sandal.” 28These things took place in Bethany abeyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29On the next day, he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, athe Lamb of God who btakes away the sin of the world! 30“This is He of whom I said, ‘aAfter me comes a man who has been 1ahead of me, bfor He existed before me.’ 31“I did not know 1Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing with water.” 32And John abore witness saying, “bI have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He abided on Him. 33“And I did not know 1Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The One upon whom you see the Spirit descending and abiding on Him, athis is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34“And I myself have seen, and have borne witness that this is athe Son of God.”