John 1:23-33

23 He said, "I am ¹A 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 ^[a]Christ, nor Elijah, nor ²the Prophet?"

26 John answered them saying, "³I baptize ^[b]in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know.

27 "It is ⁴He who comes after me, the ⁵thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie."

28 These things took place in Bethany ⁶beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, ⁷the Lamb of God who ⁸takes away the sin of the world!

30 "This is He on behalf of whom I said, '⁹After me comes a Man who ^[c]has a higher rank than I, ¹⁰for He existed before me.'

31 "I did not recognize ^[d]Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing ^[e]in water."

32 John ¹¹testified saying, "¹²I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.

33 "I did not recognize ^[f]Him, but He who sent me to baptize ^[g]in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, ¹³this is the One who baptizes ^[h]in the Holy Spirit.'

Cross References

• 1. Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4
• 2. Deuteronomy 18:15, 18; Matthew 21:11; John 1:21
• 3. Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; Acts 1:5
• 4. Matthew 3:11; John 1:30
• 5. Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:7; Luke 3:16
• 6. John 3:26; John 10:40
• 7. Isaiah 53:7; John 1:36; Acts 8:32; 1 Peter 1:19; Revelation 5:6, 8, 12; Revelation 6:1
• 8. Matthew 1:21; 1 John 3:5
• 9. Matthew 3:11; John 1:27
• 10. John 1:15
• 11. John 1:7
• 12. Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22
• 13. Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; Acts 1:5

Footnotes

• [a] I.e. Messiah
• [b] The Gr here can be translated "in, with" or "by"
• [c] Lit "has become before me"
• [d] I.e. as the Messiah
• [e] The Gr here can be translated "in, with" or "by"
• [f] I.e. as the Messiah
• [g] The Gr here can be translated "in", "with" or "by"
• [h] The Gr here can be translated "in", "with" or "by"