As John was completing his work, he said:‘ Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for. But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’

约翰将行尽他的程途说：‘你们以为我是谁？我不是基督；只是有一位在我以后来的，我解他脚上的鞋带也是不配的。’

约翰快走完他的人生路程时，说：‘你们以为我是谁？我不是；但是有一位在我以后来的，我就是解他脚上的鞋带也不配。’

约翰快走完他的人生路程时，说：‘你们以为我是谁？我不是；但是有一位在我以后来的，我就是解他脚上的鞋带也不配。’

约翰在工作快要完成的时候说，‘你们以为我是谁？我不是基督。在我之后来的那位，我连给祂解鞋带也不配。’

约翰快要跑完他的路程的时候，说：‘你们以为我是谁？我不是基督。他是在我以后来的，我就是给他解脚上的鞋带也不配。’

当约翰快要跑尽该跑的路程时，说：‘你们认为我是谁？我不是那一位。看哪，他要在我以后来，我就是为他解脚上的鞋带也不配。’

約翰將行盡他的程途說：『你們以為我是誰？我不是基督；只是有一位在我以後來的，我解他腳上的鞋帶也是不配的。』

約翰快走完他的人生路程時，說：『你們以為我是誰？我不是；但是有一位在我以後來的，我就是解他腳上的鞋帶也不配。』

約翰快走完他的人生路程時，說：『你們以為我是誰？我不是；但是有一位在我以後來的，我就是解他腳上的鞋帶也不配。』

約翰在工作快要完成的時候說，『你們以為我是誰？我不是基督。在我之後來的那位，我連給祂解鞋帶也不配。』

約翰快要跑完他的路程的時候，說：‘你們以為我是誰？我不是基督。他是在我以後來的，我就是給他解腳上的鞋帶也不配。’

約翰將要完盡他的跑程時、曾經說了：「你們所猜想我的、我並不是。不，有一位在我以後來的、他腳上的鞋我並不配脫。」

當約翰快要跑盡該跑的路程時，說：『你們認為我是誰？我不是那一位。看哪，他要在我以後來，我就是為他解腳上的鞋帶也不配。』

迨畢其職、曰、爾意我為誰、我非其人也、有後我來者、即解其履、我亦弗堪、

約翰將卒事、曰、爾以我為誰、我非基督、有後我來者、其履我不堪解、

約翰職事將竣、曰、爾曹意我為誰、我非基督、彼後我而來、其足之履、我亦不堪解、

迨其使命將畢、如望恆曰：「爾等以吾為誰？實非基督；惟有後我來者、吾雖為之解履、猶愧未稱、」

John was coming to the end of his work.‘ Who do you suppose I am?’ he said.‘ I am not the one you are looking for. But there is someone coming after me. I am not good enough to untie his sandals.’

And as John was finishing his course, he said,‘ What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

As John was finishing his ministry he asked,‘ Do you think I am the Messiah? No, I am not! But he is coming soon— and I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the sandals on his feet.’

Now as John was completing his mission, he said,‘ Who do you think I am? I am not the one. But one is coming after me, and I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.’

And while John was completing his course, he kept saying,‘ What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

And as John was finishing his course, he said,‘ Who do you think I am? I am not He. But behold, there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.’

And as John was fulfilling his course, he said, What suppose ye that I am? I am not he. But behold, there cometh one after me the shoes of whose feet I am not worthy to unloose.

Then as John was completing his life’s work, he said,‘ Who do you think I am? I am not the One. But look! Someone is coming after me, and I am not worthy to untie the sandals on His feet.’

And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not[ he]. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of[ his] feet I am not worthy to loose.

But while John was completing his mission, he said repeatedly,‘ What do you think I am? I am not he. But look, one is coming after me. I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet!’

As John was fulfilling his course, he said,‘ What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. But behold, one comes after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

“ I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

And this was his message:“ After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me— the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

“ I baptize with water,” John replied,“ but among you stands one you do not know.He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely,“ I am not the Messiah.”They asked him,“ Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said,“ I am not.”“ Are you the Prophet?” He answered,“ No.”Finally they said,“ Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet,“ I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness,‘ Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah.John answered them all,“ I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

“ My food,” said Jesus,“ is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

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

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

When he saw Jesus passing by, he said,“ Look, the Lamb of God!”

Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said,“ I am thirsty.”A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.When he had received the drink, Jesus said,“ It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Paul said,“ John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”

To this John replied,“ A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.You yourselves can testify that I said,‘ I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.

I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

But when Herod heard this, he said,“ John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married.For John had been saying to Herod,“ It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to,because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl,“ Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.”And he promised her with an oath,“ Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”She went out and said to her mother,“ What shall I ask for?”“ The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request:“ I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison,and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother.

Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.

“ Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.