John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)

3 In those days John the Baptist^(B) came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea

John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

¹⁹ Now this was John’s^(A) testimony when the Jewish leaders^[a](B) in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.

²⁰ He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”^(A)

²⁵ As John was completing his work,^(A) he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for.^(B) But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’^(C)