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What then? Art thou Elijah ?* And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet?+ And 22 he answered, No. Then they said unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of 23 thyself? He said, I am the voice of one cry

ing in the wilderness, Make straight the way 24 of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah. And they who were sent were of the Pharisees. 25 And they interrogated him, saying, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not the Christ, nor 26 Elijah, neither that prophet? Jolin answered them, saying, I baptize you with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know 27 not; he it is, who coming after me, is preferred before me; whose shoes' latchet I am not 28 worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

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The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, 30 which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man, who is preferred before me; for he was be31 fore me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore I 32 am come baptizing with water. And John testified, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon 33 him. And I knew him not: but he that sent

* They supposed Elijah would first come.

The prophet promised by Moses, most probably.
Promised by Moses.

To prepare the minds of the people for the Messiah.

me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he 34 who baptizeth with the Holy Spirit. And I saw and bare witness, that this is the Son of God.*

35 The next day John was again standing, and two 36 of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God. 37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and 38 they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which being interpreted, is the same as to say, 39 Master) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: 40 for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias ;† 42 who is, (by interpretation,) the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jonah: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is, by interpretation, a stone.

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The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto

*This explicit declaration and testimony of John must have had a great effect with the candid and serious among the Jews.

†The Greek word for Christ, is synonymous with the Hebrew word Messiah.

44 him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Beth45 saida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write; Jesus of Nazareth 46 the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth ?* Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom 48 is no guile. Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree,† I saw thee. 49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, ‡

thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of 50 Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, dost thou believe? Thou shalt see 51 greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

Nazareth was an obscure place. The Jews said, “Out of Nazareth ariseth no prophet.' Nathanael had strong prejudices, yet was sincere and devout.

† Probably engaged in devotional exercises.

This Hebrew word signifies master, or lord; and sometimes teacher or doctor.

Even the devout Jews expected Christ would be a pow erful Prince, and rule over their nation, as its King.

CHAP. II.

1 AND the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee and the mother of Jesus was 2 there. And both Jesus and his disciples were 3 invited to the marriage. And when they

wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto 4 him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? 5 mine hour is not yet come.* His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith 6 unto you, do it. And there were set there six

water-pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three 7 firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them 8 up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the master of the 9 feast; and they bare it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water which was made wine, and knew not whence it was; (but the servants who drew the water knew,) he called the 10 bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man brings out the good wine at first; and when men have well drunken, then that which is inferior: but thou hast kept the good wine until 11 now. This beginning of miracles Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory : and his disciples believed on him.

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After this, he went down to Capernaum, he and his mother, and his brethren, and his dis

*The time to exert and display my miraculous power.

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ciples but they did not continue there many days.

Now the Jews' passover was near, and Jesus 14 went up to Jerusalem,* and found in the temple those that sold oxen, and sheep, and doves, 15 and the changers of money, sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the brokers' money, and overthrew the tables ; 16 and said unto them that sold doves, Take

these things hence; make not my Father's 17 house an house of merchandise.† And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

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Then the Jews said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest 19 these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I 20 will raise it up. Then the Jews said, Forty

and six years was this temple in building, and 21 wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he 22 spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them: and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

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Now, when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, on the feast-day, many believed in his

*John relates many things omitted by the other evangelists.

†This was assuming great authority for an obscure Nazarene; and must have excited great surprise and in, terest among the Jews.

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