In those days John the Baptist appeared, and preached in the desert of Judea.

John wore clothing made of hair cloth, and he had a leather belt around his waist, and he lived on dried locusts and wild honey.

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

But John dissuaded him, and said, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

But Jesus answered, "Let it be so this time, for it is right for us to do everything that God requires." Then John consented.

But when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he retreated to Galilee.

And he went on a little farther and saw two other men who were brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother, John, in the boat with Zebedee, their father, putting their nets in order, and he called them.

Then the disciples of John came up to him and said, "Why is it that we and the Pharisees are keeping the fast, while your disciples are not keeping it?"

These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James the son of Zebedee and his brother John,

Now when John heard in prison of what the Christ was doing, he sent by his disciples

Jesus answered, "Go and report to John what you hear and see.

But as they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. "What was it that you went out into the desert to look at? A reed swaying in the wind?

"I tell you, among men born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has ever appeared. And yet those who are of little importance in the Kingdom of Heaven are greater than he.

But from the time of John the Baptist until now men have been taking the Kingdom of Heaven by storm and impetuously crowding into it.

For up to the time of John all the Prophets and the Law itself prophesied about it,

For when John came, he neither ate nor drank, and people said, 'He has a demon!'

and he said to his attendants, "This man must be John the Baptist. He has risen from the dead, and that is why wonderful powers are working through him."

For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison, on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife,

for John said to him, "It is not right for you to be living with her."

But she, at her mother's instigation, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter!"

And he sent and had John beheaded in the prison.

John's disciples came and took his body away, and buried him, and then they went and reported it to Jesus.

They said, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

Six days after this, Jesus took Peter and James and his brother John, and led them up on a high mountain, by themselves.

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

Where did John's baptism come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?" And they argued with one another, "If we say, 'It was from heaven,' he will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe him?'

But if we say, 'From men,' we have the people to fear, for they all consider John a prophet."

For John came to you with a way of uprightness, and you would not believe him. The tax-collectors and prostitutes believed him, but even after seeing that, you would not change your minds and believe him!

John the baptizer appeared in the desert, and preached repentance and baptism in order to obtain the forgiveness of sins.

John's clothing was made of hair cloth, and the belt around his waist was leather, and he lived on dried locusts and wild honey.

It was in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the good news from God,

He went on a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; they too were in their boat putting their nets in order.

As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the house of Simon and Andrew.

Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were keeping a fast. And people came and asked him, "Why is it that when John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are keeping the fast, yours are not keeping it?"

James the son of Zebedee, and John, James's brother (he named them Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder),

He let no one go with him but Peter, James, and James's brother John.

King Herod heard of him, for his name was now well known, and people were saying that John the baptizer had risen from the dead, and that that was why he was endowed with these extraordinary powers.

But when Herod heard of him he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has risen from the dead."

For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him and put him in prison, on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her.

John said to Herod, "It is not right for you to be living with your brother's wife."

for Herod stood in awe of John, knowing that he was an upright and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him talk he was very much disturbed, and yet he liked to hear him.

When she had left the room she said to her mother, "What shall I ask him for?" But she said, "The head of John the baptizer."

And she hurried back at once to the king and asked him for it, saying, "I want you right away to give me John the Baptist's head on a platter."

and he immediately sent one of his guard with orders to get John's head.

They said to him, "John the Baptist; others say Elijah, and others that you are one of the prophets."

Six days after this Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him, and led them up on a high mountain, off by themselves. And his appearance underwent a change in their presence,

John said to him, "Master, we saw a man driving out demons with your name, and we told him not to do so, for he was not one of our followers."

And Zebedee's two sons, James and John, came up to him and said, "Master, we want you to do for us whatever we ask."

When the other ten heard of this they were at first very indignant at James and John.

Was John's baptism from heaven or from men? Answer me."

Yet can we say, 'It was from men'?" For they were afraid of the people, because all the people thought John was really a prophet.

As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the Temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him, apart from the others,

And he took Peter, James, and John along with him, and he began to feel distress and dread,

And the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to name him John.

But his mother said, "No! He is to be named John."

He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, "His name is John."

in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, a message from God came to Zechariah's son John in the desert.

As all this aroused people's expectations, and they were all wondering in their hearts whether John was the Christ,

John said to them all, "I am only baptizing you in water, but someone is coming who is stronger than I am, whose shoes I am not fit to untie. He will baptize you in the holy Spirit and in fire.

crowned them all by putting John in prison.

and so were Zebedee's sons, James and John, who were Simon's partners. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you are to catch men!"

They said to him, "John's disciples observe frequent fasts and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but your disciples eat and drink."

Simon, whom he named Peter, his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,

John's disciples told him of all this,

And the men went to him and said, "John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who was to come, or should we look for someone else?' "

And he answered them, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard. The blind are regaining their sight, the lame can walk, the lepers are being cured and the deaf can hear, the dead are being raised and good news is being preached to the poor.

When John's messengers were gone, he began to speak to the crowds about John. "What was it that you went out into the desert to look at? A reed swaying in the wind?

"I tell you, among men born of women there is none greater than John; and yet those who are of little importance in the Kingdom of God are greater than he.

And all the people, even the tax-collectors, when they heard him, acknowledged the justice of God's demands, by accepting baptism from John,

"For when John the Baptist came, he did not eat any bread or drink any wine, and you said, 'He has a demon!'

When he got to the house, he let no one go in with him but Peter, John, and James, and the child's father and mother.

Herod the governor heard of all that was happening, and he was perplexed because some people said that John had risen from the dead,

But Herod said, "John I have beheaded, but who can this be about whom I hear such reports?" And he endeavored to see him.

They answered, "John the Baptist, though others say Elijah, and others that one of the old prophets has come back to life."

It was about eight days after Jesus said this that he took Peter, John, and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.

John answered, "Master, we saw a man driving out demons with your name, and we told him not to do so, for he does not go with us."

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

Once as he was praying in a certain place, when he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, "Master, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples."

Until John came, it was the Law and the Prophets. From that time the Kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone has been crowding into it.

Tell me, did John's baptism come from heaven or from men?"

But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet."

Jesus sent Peter and John, saying to them, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover."

There appeared a man by the name of John, with a message from God.

(John testified to him and cried out??or it was he who said it??He who was to come after me is now ahead of me

John too was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, for there was plenty of water there, and people came there and were baptized.

For John had not yet been put in prison.

So a discussion arose between John's disciples and a man from Judea, about purification.

And they went to John and said to him, "Master, the man who was with you across the Jordan, and to whom you yourself gave testimony, is baptizing, and everybody is going to him."

John answered, "A man cannot get anything unless it is given to him from heaven.

So when the Lord learned that the Pharisees had been told that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John??2 though it was not Jesus himself who baptized them, but his disciples??3 he left Judea and went back again to Galilee.

You yourselves sent to John, and he testified to the truth.

But I have higher testimony than John's, for the things that my Father has intrusted to me to accomplish, the very things that I am doing, are proof that my Father has sent me,

He went across the Jordan again to the place where John used to baptize at first, and there he stayed.

And people came to him in great numbers, and they said of him, "John did not show any sign in proof of his mission, but all that he said about this man was true."

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, are you more devoted to me than these others are?" Peter said to him, "Yes, Master, you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Then feed my lambs!"

Again Jesus said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, are you devoted to me?" He said to him, "Yes, Master, you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Then be a shepherd to my sheep!"

Jesus said to him a third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because the third time Jesus asked him if he loved him, and he answered, "Master, you know everything, you can see that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Then feed my sheep!

"for John baptized people in water, but in a few days you will be baptized in the holy Spirit."

When they entered the city they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. There were Peter, John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James, the son of Alpheus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas, the son of James.