²²After these things Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory, and there he spent time with them and was baptizing. ²³Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and they were coming and were being baptized. ²⁴(For John had not yet been thrown into prison.)

²⁵So a dispute occurred on the part of John’s disciples with a Jewⁱ concerning purification. ²⁶And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, about whom you testified—look, this one is baptizing, and all are coming to him!”

²⁷John answered and said, “A man can receive not one thing unless it is granted to him from heaven! ²⁸You yourselves testify about me that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I am sent before that one.’ ²⁹The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly^j because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete. ³⁰It is necessary for that one to increase, but for me to decrease.”

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Footnotes

iSome significant early manuscripts read “the Jews”
jLiterally “with joy”