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, ^(A)“I baptize with water, ^(B)but there stands One among you whom you do not know. ^27 (C)It is He who, coming after me, ^[a]is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”

²⁸ These things were done ^(D)in ^[b]Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The Lamb of God^(E)

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! ^(F)The Lamb of God ^(G)who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who ^[c]is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ³¹ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, ^(H)therefore I came baptizing with water.”

^32 (I)And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. ³³ I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, ^(J)this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ And I have seen and testified that this is the ^(K)Son of God.”

The First Disciples

³⁵ Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. ³⁶ And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, ^(L)“Behold the Lamb of God!”

³⁷ The two disciples heard him speak, and they ^(M)followed Jesus. ³⁸ Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”

They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”

³⁹ He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).

⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was ^(N)Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the ^[d]Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ).