John 1:15–26
15 John * atestified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘bHe who comes after me 1has a higher rank than I, cfor He existed before me.’ ”
16 For of His afullness 1we have all received, and 2grace upon grace.
17 For athe Law was given through Moses; bgrace and ctruth 1were realized through Jesus Christ.
18 aNo one has seen God at any time; bthe only begotten God who is cin the bosom of the Father, dHe has explained Him.
19 This is athe testimony of John, when bthe Jews sent to him priests and Levites cfrom Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “aI am not 1the Christ.”
21 They asked him, “What then? Are you aElijah?” And he * said, “I am not.” “Are you bthe Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
22 Then 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?”
23 He said, “I am aa voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”
24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.
25 They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the 1Christ, nor Elijah, nor athe Prophet?”
26 John answered them saying, “aI baptize 1in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know.