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1:19-34 This is the witness (given by John the Baptist, cousin
of Jesus). The Jews from Jerusalem, that is the
priests and the Levites, sent to ask him "Who are you?" He (the Baptist) confessed and did
not deny, saying "I am not the Christ." They asked him "Are you
Elias?" He says "I am not." They asked "Are you the
prophet?" He answered "No" They therefore
said to him "Who are you? Tell us something so we can give an answer
to the people who have sent us.
What do you say about yourself?" He (the Baptist) said "I am the
voice of one who cries out in the desert "Make the way of the Lord
straight" as the prophet Isaiah said." Now the people who had been sent
were Pharisees. They asked him
saying "Why do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elias, nor
the prophet?" John
answered them saying "I baptize in water. But amongst you there stands someone
whom you do not know. This one
is coming after me. I am not
even worthy to loosen the thong of his sandal."
These
things happened in Bethany
beyond the Jordan where John was baptizing.
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3:22-36 After these things Jesus and his disciples came into
the land of Judea. There they continued (with their
ministry) and baptized.
John also was baptizing in Ainon near Salim because there were
many streams of water there. So
they (Jesus and his disciples) came and were baptized. (They were able to do this) because
John had not yet been thrown into prison. There was a degree of
questioning of the disciples of John by a Jew about the subject of
purifying. They (John's
disciples) came to John and said to him. "Rabbi the one who was with you
beyond the Jordan and to whom you bore
witness, behold this man is baptizing and everyone is coming to him. John answered and said. "A man
cannot receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves know that I said I am
not the Christ. Rather I have
been sent before that one. It
is the one who has the bride that is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom
stands by and on hearing him is happy because this
is the voice of the bridegroom.
It is therefore with joy that I find my role has been
completed. It is right for that
one to increase. But as for me
(it is right for me) to decrease.
The one who comes from above is over all. The one (John himself) who comes
from the earth is of earth and speaks of earth. The one from heaven in coming, is over all. What he has seen and heard is what
he gives witness to. His
witness is such that no one receives it (fully). On the other hand the person who
does receive him is sealed in the conviction that God is truly
(there). He (Jesus) whom God
has sent, speaks the words of God. He gives the Spirit of God
fully. The Father loves the Son
and has given (him control) of everything - into his hand. The one who believes in the Son
(Jesus) has eternal life. On
the other hand the one who disobeys the Son will not see life. Rather the wrath of God remains upon
him.
(Note:
Text is mainly a paraphrase of the Literal translation in the RSV
Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, 1988)
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