About this time John the Baptist made his appearance, preaching in the Desert of Judaea.

This man John wore a garment of camel's hair, and a loincloth of leather; and he lived upon locusts and wild honey.

Just at that time Jesus, coming from Galilee to the Jordan, presents Himself to John to be baptized by him.

John protested. "It is I," he said, "who have need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

Now when Jesus heard that John was thrown into prison, He withdrew into Galilee,

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

At that time John's disciples came and asked Jesus, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?"

Now the names of the twelve Apostles were these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zabdi, and his brother John;

Now John had heard in prison about the Christ's doings, and he sent some of his disciples to inquire:

"Go and report to John what you see and hear," replied Jesus;

When the messengers had taken their leave, Jesus proceeded to say to the multitude concerning John, "What did you go out into the Desert to gaze at? A reed waving in the wind?

"I solemnly tell you that among all of woman born no greater has ever been raised up than John the Baptist; yet one who is of lower rank in the Kingdom of the Heavens is greater than he.

But from the time of John the Baptist till now, the Kingdom of the Heavens has been suffering violent assault, and the violent have been seizing it by force.

For all the Prophets and the Law taught until John.

"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'

"Wicked and faithless generation!" He replied, "they clamour for a sign, but none shall be given to them except the sign of the Prophet Jonah.

For just as Jonah was three days in the sea-monster's belly, so will the Son of Man be three days in the heart of the earth.

There will stand up men of Nineveh at the Judgement together with the present generation, and will condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and mark! there is One greater than Jonah here.

and he said to his courtiers, "This is John the Baptist: he has come back to life--and that is why these miraculous Powers are working in him."

For Herod had arrested John, and had put him in chains, and imprisoned him, for the sake of Herodias his brother Philip's wife,

because John had persistently said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."

And he would have liked to put him to death, but was afraid of the people, because they regarded John as a Prophet.

So she, instigated by her mother, said, "Give me here on a dish the head of John the Baptist."

and he sent and beheaded John in the prison.

Then John's disciples went and removed the body and buried it, and came and informed Jesus.

A wicked and faithless generation are eager for a sign; but none shall be given to them except the sign of Jonah." and He left them and went away.

"Some say John the Baptist," they replied; "others Elijah; others Jeremiah or one of the Prophets."

"Blessed are you, Simon Bar-jonah," said Jesus; "for mere human nature has not revealed this to you, but my Father in Heaven.

Six day later, Jesus took with Him Peter and the brothers James and John, and brought them up a high mountain to a solitary place.

Then it dawned upon the disciples that it was John the Baptist about whom He had spoken to them.

John's Baptism, whence was it? --had it a heavenly or a human origin?" So they debated the matter among themselves. "If we say 'a heavenly origin,'" they argued, "he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'

and if we say 'a human origin' we have the people to fear, for they all hold John to have been a Prophet."

For John came to you observing all sorts of ritual, and you put no faith in him: the tax-gatherers and the notorious sinners did put faith in him, and you, though you saw this example set you, were not even afterwards sorry so as to believe him.

So John the Baptizer came, and was in the Desert proclaiming a baptism of the penitent for forgiveness of sins.

As for John, his garment was of camel's hair, and he wore a loincloth of leather; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan;

Then, after John had been thrown into prison, Jesus came into Galilee proclaiming God's Good News.

Going on a little further He saw James the son of Zabdi and his brother John: they also were in the boat mending the nets, and He immediately called them.

Then on leaving the synagogue they came at once, with James and John, to the house of Simon and Andrew.

(Now John's disciples and those of the Pharisees were keeping a fast.)

James the son of Zabdi and John the brother of James (these two He surnamed Boanerges, that is 'Sons of Thunder')

And He allowed no one to accompany Him except Peter and the brothers James and John.

But when Herod heard of Him, he said, "The John, whom I beheaded, has come back to life."

For Herod himself had sent and had had John arrested and had kept him in prison in chains, for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; because he had married her.

For John had repeatedly told Herod, "You have no right to be living with your brother's wife."

for Herod stood in awe of John, knowing him to be an upright and holy man, and he protected him. After listening to him he was in great perplexity, and yet he found a pleasure in listening.

She at once went out and said to her mother: "What shall I ask for?" "The head of John the Baptizer," she replied.

The girl immediately came in, in haste, to the King and made her request. "My desire is," she said, "that you will give me, here and now, on a dish, the head of John the Baptist."

He at once sent a soldier of his guard with orders to bring John's head. So he went and beheaded him in the prison,

When John's disciples heard of it, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.

"John the Baptist," they replied, "but others say Elijah, and others, that it is one of the Prophets."

Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and brought them alone, apart from the rest, up a high mountain; and in their presence His appearance underwent a change.

"Rabbi," said John to Him, "we saw a man making use of your name to expel demons, and we tried to hinder him, on the ground that he did not follow us."

Then James and John, the sons of Zabdi, came up to Him and said, "Rabbi, we wish you would grant us whatever request we make of you."

The other ten, hearing of it, were at first highly indignant with James and John.

John's Baptism--was it of Heavenly or of human origin? Answer me."

Or should we say, 'human?'" They were afraid of the people; for all agreed in holding John to have been really a Prophet.

He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite to the Temple, when Peter, James, John, and Andrew, apart from the others asked Him,

Then He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be full of terror and distress,

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your petition has been heard: and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call his name John.

His mother, however, said, "No, he is to be called John."

So he asked for a writing-tablet, and wrote, "His name is John." And they all wondered.

during the High-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, a message from God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the Desert.

John went into all the district about the Jordan proclaiming a baptism of the penitent for the forgiveness of sins;

Accordingly John used to say to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, "O vipers' brood, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

And while the people were in suspense and all were debating in their minds whether John might possibly be the Anointed One,

now added this to crown all the rest, that he threw John into prison.

son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Jannai, son of Joseph,

and so were Simon's partners James and John, the sons of Zabdi.)

Again they said to Him, "John's disciples fast often and pray, as do also those of the pharisees; but yours eat and drink."

These were Simon, to whom also He had given the name of Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;

John's disciples brought him an account of all these things;

so John called two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord. "Are you the Coming One?" he asked, "or is there another that we are to expect?"

The men came to Jesus and said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you with this question: 'Are you the Coming One, or is there another that we are to expect?'"

Then He answered the messengers, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard. Blind men receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are purified, deaf persons hear, the dead are raised to life, the poor have the Good News proclaimed to them.

When John's messengers were gone, He proceeded to say to the multitude concerning John, "What did you go out into the Desert to gaze at? A reed waving in the wind?

John is the man about whom it is written, 'See, I am sending My messenger before thy face, and he shall make ready thy way before thee.'

"I tell you that among all of women born there is not one greater than John. Yet one who is of lower rank in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.

And all the people, including the tax-gatherers, when they listened to him upheld the righteousness of God, by being baptized with John's baptism.

For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, 'He has a demon!'

and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many other women, all of whom contributed to the support of Jesus and His Apostles.

So He came to the house, but allowed no one to go in with Him but Peter and John and James and the girl's father and mother.

Now Herod the Tetrarch heard of all that was going on; and he was bewildered because of its being said by some that John had come back to life,

And Herod said, "John I have beheaded; but who is this, of whom I hear such reports?" And he sought for an opportunity of seeing Jesus.

"John the Baptist," they replied; "but others say Elijah; and others that some one of the ancient Prophets has come back to life."

It was about eight days after this that Jesus, taking with Him Peter, John, and James, went up the mountain to pray.

"Rabbi," replied John, "we have seen a man making use of your name to expel demons; and we forbad him, because he does not come with us."

When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Master, do you wish us to order fire to come down from Heaven and consume them?"

At one place where He was praying, when He rose from His knees one of His disciples said to Him, "Master, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

Now when the crowds came thronging upon Him, He proceeded to say, "The present generation is a wicked generation: it requires some sign, but no sign shall be given to it except that of Jonah.

For just as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be a token to the present generation.

There will stand up men of Nineveh at the Judgement together with the present generation, and will condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and mark! One greater than Jonah is here.

The Law and the Prophets continued until John came: from that time the Good News of the Kingdom of God has been spreading, and all classes have been forcing their way into it.

"was John's baptism of Heavenly or of human origin?"

And if we say, 'human,' the people will all stone us; for they are thoroughly convinced that John was a Prophet."

Jesus sent Peter and John with instructions. "Go," He said, "and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it."

The women were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; and they and the rest of the women related all this to the Apostles.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

John gave testimony concerning Him and cried aloud, saying, "This is He of whom I said, 'He who is coming after me has been put before me,' for He was before me."

This also is John's testimony, when the Jews sent to him a deputation of Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him who he was.