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';

"It is a wicked and unfaithful generation," answered Jesus, "that is asking for a sign, and no sign shall be given it except the sign of the Prophet Jonah.

For, just as 'Jonah was inside the sea-monster three days and three nights,' so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

At the Judgment, the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation, and will condemn it, because they repented at Jonah's proclamation; and here is more than a Jonah!

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.

A wicked and unfaithful generation is asking for a sign, but no sign shall be given it except the sign of Jonah." So he left them and went away.

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

"Blessed are you, Simon, Son of Jonah," Jesus replied. "For no human being has revealed this to you, but my Father who is in Heaven.

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.

And in fulfillment of this, John the Baptizer appeared in the Wilderness, proclaiming a baptism upon repentance, for the forgiveness of sins.

John was clad in clothing of camels' hair, with a belt of leather round his waist, and lived on locusts and wild honey;

Now about that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

After John had been committed to prison, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the Good News of God--

Going on a little further, he saw James, Zebediah's son, and his brother John, who also were in their boat mending the nets.

As soon as they had come out from the Synagogue, they went, with James and John, into the house of Simon and Andrew.

Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were keeping a fast, and people came and asked Jesus: "Why is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, while yours do not?"

James, the son of Zebediah, and his brother John (to whom he gave the name of Boanerges, which means the Thunderers),

And he allowed no one to accompany him, except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

Now King Herod heard of Jesus; for his name had become well known. People were saying--"John the Baptizer must have risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are active in him."

But when Herod heard of him, he said--"The man whom I beheaded--John--he must be risen!"

For Herod himself had sent and arrested John, and put him in prison, in chains, to please Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because Herod had married her.

For John had said to Herod--'You have no right to be living with your brother's wife.'

So Herodias was incensed against John, and wanted to put him to death, but was unable to do so,

Because Herod stood in fear of John, knowing him to be an upright and holy man, and protected him. He had listened to John, but still remained much perplexed, and yet he found pleasure in listening to him.

The girl went out, and said to her mother 'What must I ask for?' 'The head of John the Baptizer,' answered her mother.

So she went in as quickly as possible to the King, and made her request. 'I want you,' she said, 'to give me at once, on a dish, the head of John the Baptist.'

He immediately dispatched one of his bodyguard, with orders to bring John's head. The man went and beheaded John in the prison,

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

Seeing them laboring at the oars--for the wind was against them--about three hours after midnight Jesus came towards them, walking on the water, intending to join them.

"John the Baptist," they answered, "but others say Elijah, while others say one of the Prophets."

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain alone by themselves. There his appearance was transformed before their eyes,

"Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons by using your name, and we tried to prevent him, because he did not follow us."

James and John, the two sons of Zebediah, went to Jesus, and said: "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask."

On hearing of this, the ten others were at first very indignant about James and John.

It is about John's baptism. Was it of divine or human origin? Answer me that."

Yet can we say 'human'?"--They were afraid of the people, for everyone regarded John as undoubtedly a Prophet.

When Jesus had sat down on the Mount of Olives, facing the Temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew questioned him privately:

He took with him Peter, James, and John; and began to show signs of great dismay and deep distress of mind.

But the angel said to him: " Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, whom you shall call by the name John.

When his mother interposed: "No, he is to be called John."

Asking for a writing-tablet, he wrote the words--'His name is John.' Every one was surprised;

And when Annas and Caiaphas were High Priests, a Command from God came to John, the son of Zechariah, while he was in the wilderness.

And John went through the whole district of the Jordan, proclaiming baptism upon repentance, for the forgiveness of sins.

And John said to the crowds that went to be baptized by him: "You brood of vipers! who has prompted you to seek refuge from the coming judgment?

"Let the man who has two coats," answered John, "share with him who has none; and the man who has food do the same."

Even tax-gatherers came to be baptized, and said to John: "Teacher, what are we to do?"

"Do not collect more than you have authority to demand," John answered.

Then, while the people were in suspense, and were all debating with themselves whether John could be the Christ,

John, addressing them all, said: "I, indeed, baptize you with water; but there is coming one more powerful than I, and I am not fit even to unfasten his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

And so with many different exhortations John told his Good News to the people.

But Prince Herod, being rebuked by John respecting Herodias, the wife of Herod's brother, and for all the evil things that he had done,

Crowned them all by shutting John up in prison.

Mattith, Levi, Melchiah, Janna, Joseph,

And so, too, were James and John, Zebediah's sons, who were Simon's partners. "Do not be afraid," Jesus said to Simon; "from to-day you shall catch men."

"John's disciples," they said to Jesus, "Often fast and say prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, while yours are eating and drinking!"

They were Simon (whom Jesus also named Peter), and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,

All these events were reported to John by his disciples.

When these men found Jesus, they said: "John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask--'Are you 'The Coming One,' or are we to look for somebody else?'"

So his answer to the question was: "Go and report to John what you have witnessed and heard--the blind recover their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are made clean, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, the Good News is told to the poor.

When John's messengers had left, Jesus, speaking to the crowds, began to say with reference to John:

There is, I tell you, no one born of a woman who is greater than John; and yet the lowliest in the Kingdom of God is greater than he."

(All the people, when they heard this, and even the tax- gatherers, having accepted John's baptism, acknowledged the justice of God.

But the Pharisees and the Students of the Law, having rejected John's baptism, frustrated God's purpose in regard to them.)

For now that John the Baptist has come, not eating bread or drinking wine, you are saying 'He has a demon in him';

And Joanna (the wife of Herod's steward, Chuza), and Susannah, and many others--all of whom ministered to Jesus and his Apostles out of their means.

Presently Jesus' mother and brothers came where he was, but they were not able to join him on account of the crowd.

When he reached the house, he did not allow any one to go in with him, except Peter, John, and James, and the child's father and mother.

Prince Herod heard of all that was happening, and was perplexed, because it was said by some that John must be risen from the dead.

But Herod himself said: "John I beheaded; but who is this of whom I hear such things?" And he endeavored to see him.

"John the Baptist," was their answer; "others, however, say that you are Elijah, while others say that one of the old Prophets has risen again."

About eight days after speaking these words, Jesus went up the mountain to pray, taking with him Peter, John, and James.

Thereupon John said: "Sir, we saw a man driving out demons by using your name, and we tried to prevent him, because he does not follow you with us."

"None of you must prevent him," Jesus said to John; "he who is not against you is for you."