THEN in those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the desert country of Judea,

Now this John had his garment made of camel's hair, and a girdle of leather about his loins, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

Then came Jesus from Galilee unto Jordan to John, that he might be baptized by him.

But John earnestly withheld him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

But when Jesus heard that John was cast into prison, he retired into Galilee;

And going on from thence, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

Then came unto him disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees keep many fasts, but thy disciples fast not?

Now these are the names of the twelve apostles; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

Then John, having heard in prison the works of Christ, sent two of his disciples,

And Jesus answering said unto them, Go, and tell John what things ye hear and see.

And when they were gone, Jesus began to speak to the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

Verily I say unto you, There hath not arisen, from those born of women, a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

But from the days of John the Baptist unto the present, the kingdom of heaven is assaulted by violence, and the invaders forcibly seize upon it.

For all the prophets and the law until John, foretold [this].

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil:

and said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore miracles are wrought by him.

For Herod having seized John, had bound him, and put him in prison, for the sake of Herodias, the wife of Philip his brother.

For John said unto him, It is unlawful for thee to have her.

And she, being previously urged on by her mother, said, Give me here, in a spacious dish, the head of John the Baptist.

And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.

But they replied, Some, that thou art John the Baptist; but others, Elias; and others again, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.

THEN six days after, Jesus taketh Peter, and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them into an exceeding high mountain apart.

Then understood the disciples that he spake to them of John the Baptist.

The baptism of John whence was it? from heaven, or from men? Hereupon they reasoned among themselves, saying, If we reply, From heaven, he will say to us, Why then did ye not believe him?

But if we say, From men, we are afraid of the populace, for they all hold John as a prophet.

For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the tax-gatherers and harlots believed on him. But ye, when ye saw it, repented not afterwards, that ye should believe on him.