John 1:23-31

23He said, “I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

24Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.

25They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

26John answered them, “I baptize [only] in water, but among you there stands One whom you do not recognize and of whom you know nothing.

27It is He [the preeminent One] who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie [even as His slave].”

28These things occurred in Bethany across the Jordan [at the Jordan River crossing], where John was baptizing.

29The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

30This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I and has priority over me, for He existed before me.’

31I did not recognize Him [as the Messiah]; but I came baptizing in water so that He would be [publicly] revealed to Israel.”