John 1:19-34

¹⁹This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” ²⁰And he confessed and did not deny; and this is what he confessed: “I am not the Christ.” ²¹And so they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he *said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” ²²Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” ²³He said, “I am the voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Make the way of the Lord straight,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

²⁴And the messengers had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” ²⁶John answered them, saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. ²⁷It is He who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy even to untie the strap of His sandal.” ²⁸These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing people.

²⁹The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him, and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰This is He in behalf of whom I said, ‘After me is coming a Man who has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.’ ³¹And I did not recognize Him, but so that He would be revealed to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” ³²And John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. ³³And I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴And I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”