John 1:20-26

20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”

21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”

22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”^[a]

24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent

25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

26 “I baptize with^[b] water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know.

Cross References

• 1. John 3:28; Luke 3:15,16
• 2. S Matthew 11:14
• 3. Deuteronomy 18:15
• 4. Matthew 3:1
• 5. Isaiah 40:3
• 6. S Mark 1:4

Footnotes

• [a] Isaiah 40:3
• [b] Or "in" ; also in verses 31 and 33 (twice)