John

Shortly thereafter, Yeshua came from Natzeret in the Galil and was immersed in the Yarden by Yochanan.

After Yochanan had been arrested, Yeshua came into the Galil proclaiming the Good News from God:

Also Yochanan's talmidim and the P'rushim were fasting; and they came and asked Yeshua, "Why is it that Yochanan's talmidim and the talmidim of the P'rushim fast, but your talmidim don't fast?"

Meanwhile, King Herod heard about this, for Yeshua's reputation had spread. Some were saying, "Yochanan the Immerser has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him."

But when Herod heard about it, he said, "Yochanan, whom I had beheaded, has been raised."

For Herod had sent and had Yochanan arrested and chained in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Herod had married her,

but Yochanan had told him, "It violates the Torah for you to marry your brother's wife."

because Herod stood in awe of Yochanan and protected him, for he knew that he was a tzaddik, a holy man. Whenever he heard him, he became deeply disturbed; yet he liked to listen to him.

So she went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" She said, "The head of Yochanan the Immerser."

At once the daughter hurried back to the king and announced her request: "I want you to give me right now on a platter the head of Yochanan the Immerser."

"Some say you are Yochanan the Immerser," they told him, "others say Eliyahu, and still others, one of the prophets."

The immersion of Yochanan -- was it from Heaven or from a human source? Answer me."

But if we say, `From a human source, . . . '" -- they were afraid of the people, for they all regarded Yochanan as a genuine prophet.

But the angel said to him, "Don't be afraid, Z'kharyah; because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elisheva will bear you a son, and you are to name him Yochanan.

when his mother spoke up and said, "No, he is to be called Yochanan."

He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone's surprise he wrote, "His name is Yochanan."

with `Anan and Kayafa being the cohanim g'dolim; the word of God came to Yochanan Ben-Z'kharyah in the desert.

The people were in a state of great expectancy, and everyone was wondering whether perhaps Yochanan himself might be the Messiah;

so Yochanan answered them all, "I am immersing you in water, but he who is coming is more powerful than I -- I'm not worthy to untie his sandals! He will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh and in fire.

whereupon Herod added this to the rest: he locked up Yochanan in prison.

Next they said to him, "Yochanan's talmidim are always fasting and davvening, and likewise the talmidim of the P'rushim; but yours go on eating and drinking."

Yochanan's talmidim informed him of all these things. Then Yochanan called two of his talmidim

and sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one who is to come? Or should we look for someone else?"

When the men came to him, they said, "Yochanan the Immerser has sent us to you to ask, `Are you the one who is to come? Or should we keep looking -- for someone else?'"

So he answered them by saying, "Go, tell Yochanan what you have been seeing and hearing: the blind are seeing again, the lame are walking, people with tzara`at are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised, the Good News is being told to the poor --