John Bears Witness

19And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

20And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”

21And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he says, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

22So 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?”

23He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ just as Isaiah the prophet said.”

24And they had been sent from the Pharisees.

25And they asked him and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

26John answered them, saying, “I baptize in water. Among you stands one whom you do not know,”

27the one coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.

28These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29The next day he sees Jesus coming toward him and says, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

30This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’

31And I did not know him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water: that he might be revealed to Israel.

32And John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him.”

33And I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, this is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’

34And I have seen and have testified that this is the Chosen One of God.