Now in those days John the Baptist *came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,

Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

Then Jesus *arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him.

But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”

Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee;

Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them.

Then the disciples of John *came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”

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

Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples

Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see:

As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.

For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John.

And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’

and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

For when Herod had John arrested, he bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip.

For John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

Although Herod wanted to put him to death, he feared the crowd, because they regarded John as a prophet.

Having been prompted by her mother, she *said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”

He sent and had John beheaded in the prison.

Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the people heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities.

And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”

Six days later Jesus *took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and *led them up on a high mountain by themselves.

Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.

The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’

But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet.”

For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.