John 1:19-37

¹⁹This is the testimony of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

²⁰He confessed—he did not deny, but confessed—”I am not the Christ.”

²¹So they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” They said, “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.”

²²Then 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 a voice, crying in the wilderness: 'Make the way of the Lord straight,' just as Isaiah the prophet said.”

²⁴Now some from the Pharisees were sent,

²⁵and they asked him and said to him, “Why do you baptize then if you are not the Christ nor Elijah nor the prophet?”

²⁶John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water. But among you stands someone you do not know.

²⁷He is the one who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”

²⁸These things were done in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

²⁹The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Look, there is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

³⁰This is the one of whom I said, 'The one who comes after me is more than me, for he was before me.'

³¹I did not know him, but it was so that he could be revealed to Israel that I came baptizing with water.”

³²John testified, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven, and it stayed upon him.

³³I did not recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'Upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, he is the one baptizing in the Holy Spirit.'

³⁴I have both seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

³⁵Again, the next day, as John was standing with two of his disciples,

³⁶they saw Jesus walking by, and John said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

³⁷His two disciples heard him say this and they followed Jesus.