John 1:15–28

¹⁵John beareth witness of him, and crieth, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that cometh after me is become before me: for he was before me. ¹⁶For of his fulness we all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

¹⁹And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent unto him from Jerusalem priests and Levites to ask him, Who art thou? ²⁰And he confessed, and denied not; and he confessed, I am not the Christ. ²¹And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered, No. ²²They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? ²³He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet. ²⁴And they had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵And they asked him, and said unto him, Why then baptizest thou, if thou art not the Christ, neither Elijah, neither the prophet? ²⁶John answered them, saying, I baptize in water: in the midst of you standeth one whom ye know not, ²⁷even he that cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose. ²⁸These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.