John 1:19–34

The Testimony of John the Baptist

¹⁹And this is the ^otestimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ^p“Who are you?” ^20qHe confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” ²¹And they asked him, “What then? ^rAre you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you ^sthe Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” ²²So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” ²³He said, “I am ^tthe voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight⁸ the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

²⁴(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) ²⁵They asked him, ^u“Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” ²⁶John answered them, ^v“I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, ²⁷even ^whe who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” ²⁸These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Behold, the Lamb of God

²⁹The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, ^xthe Lamb of God, who ^ytakes away the sin ^zof the world! ³⁰This is he of whom I said, ^a‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ³¹I myself did not know him, but ^bfor this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” ³²And John ^cbore witness: ^d“I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and ^eit remained on him. ³³I myself did not know him, but ^fhe who sent me to baptize ^gwith water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, ^hthis is he who baptizes ^gwith the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son⁹ of God.”