There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As it is written in the prophets, “Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.”

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’ Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

“Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, ‘We have Abraham to our father:’ for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”

“And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

And the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”

He answereth and saith unto them, “He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.”

Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, “Master, what shall we do?”

And he said unto them, “Exact no more than that which is appointed you.”

And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, “And what shall we do?”

And he said unto them, “Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.”

And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; John answered, saying unto them all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.”

And John preached, saying, “There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.”

“I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.”

And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.

But John forbad him, saying, “I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?”

Then he suffered him. And Jesus was baptized of John in Jordan.

Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, went up straightway out of the water: and the heaven was opened, and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the heavens opened. And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, “Thou art my beloved Son; in whom I am well pleased.”

And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness.

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

And John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, “This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.”

And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli.

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

And the devil said unto him, “If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.”

And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

And the devil said unto him, “All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.”

And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, ‘He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.’”

Then the devil saith unto him, “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, ‘He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.’”

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, “All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.”

Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who art thou?”

And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

And they asked him, “What then? Art thou Elias?”

And he saith, “I am not.”

And he answered, “No.”

Then said they unto him, “Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?”

He said, “I am ‘the voice of one crying in the wilderness,’ ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as said the prophet Esaias.”

And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

And they asked him, and said unto him, “Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?”

John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.”

These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, ‘After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.’”

“And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.”

And John bare record, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.”

“And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, ‘Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.’”

“And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.”

1

Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

They said unto him, “Rabbi,” (which is to say, being interpreted, “Master,”) “where dwellest thou?”

They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, “We have found the Messias,” which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

And he brought him to Jesus.

2

Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

And Nathanael said unto him, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

Philip saith unto him, “Come and see.”

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, “They have no wine.”

His mother saith unto the servants, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.”

And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

And they filled them up to the brim.

And they bare it.

When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, “Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.”

This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

***

After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.

And his disciples remembered that it was written, “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.”

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.”

Nicodemus answered and said unto him, “How can these things be?”

After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.

And John also was baptizing in AEnon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison.

Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

And they came unto John, and said unto him, “Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.”

John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.”

“Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but that I am sent before him.”

“He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.”

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

“He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.”

“The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.”

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

When therefore the LORD knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.

And he must needs go through Samaria.

Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, “How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.”

The woman saith unto him, “Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.”

“Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”

“Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.”

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

The woman saith unto him, “I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.”

And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, ‘What seekest thou?’ or, ‘Why talkest thou with her?’

The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?”

Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, “Master, eat.”

Therefore said the disciples one to another, “Hath any man brought him ought to eat?”

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, ‘He told me all that ever I did.’

So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.

And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, “Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”

Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee. For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.

Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.

So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine.

And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.

The nobleman saith unto him, “Sir, come down ere my child die.”

And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, “Thy son liveth.”

Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”

So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, ‘Thy son liveth:’ and himself believed, and his whole house.

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

“‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.’”

And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph's son?”

“But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.”

And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

But he passing through the midst of them went his way, And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.

And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

13. How Shall Ye Believe My Words?

After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.

The impotent man answered him, “Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.”

And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.

The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, “It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.”

He answered them, “He that made me whole, the same said unto me, ‘Take up thy bed, and walk.’”

Then asked they him, “What man is that which said unto thee, ‘Take up thy bed, and walk?’”

And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.

The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.

And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.

Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, ‘He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.’”

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, ‘The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.’ For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.”

“Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.”

“But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.”

“But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me.”

“Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.”

“And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.”

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

“And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”

“Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?”