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And this is the 1testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, 2“Who are you? ”
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3He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ. ”
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And they asked him, “What then? 4Are you Elijah? ” He said, “I am not. ” “Are you 5the Prophet? ” And he answered, “No. ”
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So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? ”
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He said, “I am 6the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord, ’ as the prophet Isaiah said. ”
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(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. )
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They asked him, 7“Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? ”
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John answered them, 8“I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know,
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even 9he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. ”
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These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.