John

And in those days cometh John the Baptist, proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea,

And this John had his clothing of camel's hair, and a girdle of skin round his loins, and his nourishment was locusts and honey of the field.

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee upon the Jordan, unto John to be baptized by him,

but John was forbidding him, saying, `I have need by thee to be baptized--and thou dost come unto me!'

And Jesus having heard that John was delivered up, did withdraw to Galilee,

Then come to him do the disciples of John, saying, `Wherefore do we and the Pharisees fast much, and thy disciples fast not?'

And John having heard in the prison the works of the Christ, having sent two of his disciples,

And Jesus answering said to them, `Having gone, declare to John the things that ye hear and see,

And as they are going, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, `What went ye out to the wilderness to view? --a reed shaken by the wind?

Verily I say to you, there hath not risen, among those born of women, a greater than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the reign of the heavens is greater than he.

`And, from the days of John the Baptist till now, the reign of the heavens doth suffer violence, and violent men do take it by force,

for all the prophets and the law till John did prophesy,

`For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a demon;

and said to his servants, `This is John the Baptist, he did rise from the dead, and because of this the mighty energies are working in him.'

For Herod having laid hold on John, did bind him, and did put him in prison, because of Herodias his brother Philip's wife,

for John was saying to him, `It is not lawful to thee to have her,'

And she having been instigated by her mother--`Give me (says she) here upon a plate the head of John the Baptist;

and having sent, he beheaded John in the prison,

and they said, `Some, John the Baptist, and others, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.'

Then understood the disciples that concerning John the Baptist he spake to them.

the baptism of John, whence was it? --from heaven, or from men?' And they were reasoning with themselves, saying, `If we should say, From heaven; he will say to us, Wherefore, then, did ye not believe him?

and if we should say, From men, we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.'

for John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye did not believe him, and the tax-gatherers and the harlots did believe him, and ye, having seen, repented not at last--to believe him.

John came baptizing in the wilderness, and proclaiming a baptism of reformation--to remission of sins,

And John was clothed with camel's hair, and a girdle of skin around his loins, and eating locusts and honey of the field,