23. He said:“I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the desert,“Make straight the way of the Lord,”’as Isaiah the prophet said.”
24. Some Pharisees were also sent.
25. They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?”
26. John answered them, “I baptize with water; but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
27. the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
28. This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29. The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
30. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’
31. I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.”
32. John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him.