John 3

3:18  He that believeth on him is not judged¹: he that believeth not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God².

3:19  And this is the judgment¹, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.

3:22  After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea; and there he tarried with them², and baptized³.

3:23  And John also was baptizing¹ in Enon near to Salim, because there was much water there³: and they came, and were baptized⁴.

"Here, then, in the wild, desert valley, beneath the red precipices, where the hawk and kite find nests in "the stairs of the rocks," or by the banks of the shingly stream, with its beautiful oleander blossoms shining in the dusky foliage of luxuriant shrubs, we may picture the dark figure of the Baptist, in his robe of camel's hair, with the broad leather Bedawi belt around his loins, preaching to the Judean multitude of pale citizens--portly, gray-bearded rabbis, Roman soldiers in leathern armor and shining helmets, sharp-faced publicans, and, above all, to the great mass of oppressed peasantry, the "beasts of the people," uncared for, stricken with palsy, with blindness, with fever, with leprosy, but eagerly looking forward to the appearance of that Messiah who came to preach the gospel to the poor."

3:24  For John was not yet cast into prison¹.

3:25  There arose therefore a questioning on the part of John's disciples with a Jew about purifying¹.

3:26  And they came unto John, and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan¹, to whom thou hast borne witness, behold, the same baptizeth², and all men come to him³.

3:27  John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven¹.

3:28  Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ¹, but, that I am sent before him.

3:29  He that hath the bride is the bridegroom¹: but the friend of the bridegroom, that standeth and heareth him², rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice³: this my joy therefore is made full⁴.

3:30  He must increase, but I must decrease¹.

3:31  He that cometh from above is above all¹: he that is of the earth is of the earth, and of the earth he speaketh: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

3:32  What he hath seen and heard, of that he beareth witness¹; and no man receiveth his witness².

3:33  He that hath received his witness hath set his seal to [this], that God is true¹.

3:34  For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for he giveth not the Spirit by measure¹.

3:35  The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand¹.

3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life¹; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life², but the wrath of God abideth on him³.