Now Boaz went up to the village gate and sat there. Then along came the guardian whom Boaz had mentioned to Ruth! Boaz said, "Come here and sit down, 'John Doe'!" So he came and sat down.

In those days John the Baptist came into the wilderness of Judea proclaiming,

Now John wore clothing made from camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey.

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

But John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?"

So Jesus replied to him, "Let it happen now, for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then John yielded to him.

Now when Jesus heard that John had been imprisoned, he went into Galilee.

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

Then John's disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don't fast?"

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

Now when John heard in prison about the deeds Christ had done, he sent his disciples to ask a question:

Jesus answered them, "Go tell John what you hear and see:

While they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

"I tell you the truth, among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is.

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it.

For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John appeared.

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

and he said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead! And because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him."

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

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

Although Herod wanted to kill John, he feared the crowd because they accepted John as a prophet.

Instructed by her mother, she said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter."

So he sent and had John beheaded in the prison.

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

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

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

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

Where did John's baptism come from? From heaven or from people?" They discussed this among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?'

But if we say, 'From people,' we fear the crowd, for they all consider John to be 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. Although you saw this, you did not later change your minds and believe him.

In the wilderness John the baptizer began preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

John wore a garment made of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

Now in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River.

Now after John was imprisoned, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of God.

Going on a little farther, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother in their boat mending nets.

Now as soon as they left the synagogue, they entered Simon and Andrew's house, with James and John.

Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. So they came to Jesus and said, "Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don't fast?"

to James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee, he gave the name Boanerges (that is, "sons of thunder");

He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.

Now King Herod heard this, for Jesus' name had become known. Some were saying, "John the baptizer has been raised from the dead, and because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him."

But when Herod heard this, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised!"

For Herod himself had sent men, arrested John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her.

For John had repeatedly told Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

because Herod stood in awe of John and protected him, since he knew that John was a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard him, he was thoroughly baffled, and yet he liked to listen to John.

So she went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" Her mother said, "The head of John the baptizer."

Immediately she hurried back to the king and made her request: "I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately."

So the king sent an executioner at once to bring John's head, and he went and beheaded John in prison.

When John's disciples heard this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.

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

Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John and led them alone up a high mountain privately. And he was transfigured before them,

John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not following us."

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask."

Now when the other ten heard this, they became angry with James and John.

John's baptism -- was it from heaven or from people? Answer me."

But if we say, 'From people -- '" (they feared the crowd, for they all considered John to be truly a prophet).

So while he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately,

He took Peter, James, and John with him, and became very troubled and distressed.

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

But his mother replied, "No! He must be named John."

He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they were all amazed.

during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

So John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

John answered them, "The person who has two tunics must share with the person who has none, and the person who has food must do likewise."

While the people were filled with anticipation and they all wondered whether perhaps John could be the Christ,

John answered them all, "I baptize you with water, but one more powerful than I am is coming -- I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

And in this way, with many other exhortations, John proclaimed good news to the people.

But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and because of all the evil deeds that he had done,

Herod added this to them all: He locked up John in prison.

and so were James and John, Zebedee's sons, who were Simon's business partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people."

Then they said to him, "John's disciples frequently fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours continue to eat and drink."

Simon (whom he named Peter), and his brother Andrew; and James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,

John's disciples informed him about all these things. So John called two of his disciples

When the men came to Jesus, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?'"

So he answered them, "Go tell John what you have seen and heard: The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them.

When John's messengers had gone, 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?

I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he is."

(Now all the people who heard this, even the tax collectors, acknowledged God's justice, because they had been baptized with John's baptism.

However, the Pharisees and the experts in religious law rejected God's purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

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

Now when he came to the house, Jesus did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, and James, and the child's father and mother.

Now Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was happening, and he was thoroughly perplexed, because some people were saying that John had been raised from the dead,

Herod said, "I had John beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?" So Herod wanted to learn about Jesus.

They answered, "John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others that one of the prophets of long ago has risen."

Now about eight days after these sayings, Jesus took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up the mountain to pray.

John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he is not a disciple along with us."

Now when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume them?"

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

"The law and the prophets were in force until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is urged to enter it.

John's baptism -- was it from heaven or from people?"

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

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

A man came, sent from God, whose name was John.

John testified about him and shouted out, "This one was the one about whom I said, 'He who comes after me is greater than I am, because he existed before me.'"

Now this was John's testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"

John said, "I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way for the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said."

So they asked John, "Why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"

John answered them, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not recognize,

These things happened in Bethany across the Jordan River where John was baptizing.

On the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Then John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven, and it remained on him.