About that time John the Baptist first appeared, proclaiming in the Wilderness of Judea:

John wore clothing made of camels' hair, with a belt of leather round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

When, however, John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to receive his baptism, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who has prompted you to seek refuge from the coming judgment?

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan, to John, to be baptized by him.

But John tried to prevent him. "It is I," he said, "who need to be baptized by you; why then do you come to me?"

"Let it be so for the present," Jesus answered, "since it is fitting for us thus to satisfy every claim of religion." Upon this, John consented.

When Jesus heard that John had been committed to prison, he retired to Galilee.

Going further on, he saw two other men who were also brothers, James, Zebediah's son, and his brother John, in their boat with their father, mending their nets. Jesus called them,

Then John's disciples came to Jesus, and asked: "Why do we and the Pharisees fast while your disciples do not?"

The names of the twelve Apostles are these: First Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebediah, and his brother John;

Now John had heard in prison what the Christ was doing, and he sent a message by his disciples,

The answer of Jesus to the question was-- "Go and report to John what you hear and see--

While these men were going back, Jesus began to say to the crowds with reference to John:

I tell you, no one born of a woman has yet appeared who is greater than John the Baptist; and yet the lowliest in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.

From the time of John the Baptist to this very hour, the Kingdom of Heaven has been taken by force, and men using force have been seizing it.

For the teaching of all the Prophets and of the Law continued till the time of John;

And--if you are ready to accept it--John is himself the Elijah who was destined to come.

For, when John came, neither eating nor drinking, men said 'He has a demon in him';

And said to his attendants: " This must be John the Baptist; he must be risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are active in him."

For Herod had arrested John, put him in chains, and shut him up in prison, to please Herodias, the wife of Herod's brother Philip.

For John had said to him 'You have no right to be living with her.'

Yet, though Herod wanted to put him to death, he was afraid of the people, because they looked on John as a Prophet.

Prompted by her mother, the girl said 'Give me here, on a dish, the head of John the Baptist.'

He sent and beheaded John in the prison;

Then John's disciples came, and took the body away, and buried it; and went and told Jesus.

"Some say John the Baptist," they answered, "Others, however, say that he is Elijah, while others again say Jeremiah, or one of the Prophets."

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter, and the brothers James and John, and led them up a high mountain alone.

Then the disciples understood that it was of John the Baptist that he had spoken to them.

It is about John's baptism. What was its origin? divine or human?" But they began arguing among themselves: "If we say 'divine,' he will say to us 'Why then did not you believe him?'

But if we say 'human,' we are afraid of the people, for every one regards John as a Prophet."

For when John came to you, walking in the path of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax-gatherers and prostitutes did; and yet you, though you saw this, even then were not sorry, nor did you believe him.