John 1:18-28 (Gospel)
- 18
- No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
- 19
- Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
- 20
- He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
- 21
- And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
- 22
- Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
- 23
- He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the LORD,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
- 24
- Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.
- 25
- And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
- 26
- John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.
- 27
- It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”
- 28
- These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.