(For John had not yet been thrown into prison.)<n id="1" />p>

Many<n id="1" /> came to him and began to say, &#8220;John<n id="2" /> performed<n id="3" /> no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man<n id="4" /> was true!&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">A man came, sent from God, whose name was John.<n id="1" />

These things happened in Bethany<n id="1" /> across the Jordan River<n id="2" /> where John was baptizing.p>

<p class="bodytext">Again the next day John<n id="1" /> was standing there<n id="2" /> with two of his disciples.

<p class="bodytext">John answered them,<n id="1" /> &#8220;I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not recognize,<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">Then<n id="1" /> John testified,<n id="2" /> &#8220;I saw the Spirit descending like a dove<n id="3" /> from heaven,<n id="4" /> and it remained on him.<n id="5" />

John<n id="1" /> was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim,<n id="2" /> because water was plentiful there, and people were coming<n id="3" /> to him<n id="4" /> and being baptized.

<p class="bodytext">John replied,<n id="1" /> &#8220;No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now when Jesus<n id="1" /> knew that the Pharisees<n id="2" /> had heard that he<n id="3" /> was winning<n id="4" /> and baptizing more disciples than John

<p class="bodytext">Jesus<n id="1" /> went back across the Jordan River<n id="2" /> again to the place where John<n id="3" /> had been baptizing at an earlier time,<n id="4" /> and he stayed there.

John<n id="1" /> testified<n id="2" /> about him and shouted out,<n id="3" /> &#8220;This one was the one about whom I said, &#8216;He who comes after me is greater than I am,<n id="4" /> because he existed before me.&#8217;&#8221;