And he said unto them, "Extort no more than that which is appointed you."

And soldiers also asked him, saying, "And we, what must we do?"

And he said unto them, "Extort from no man by violence, neither accuse any one wrongfully; and be content with your wages."

And as the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether haply he were the Christ; John answered, saying unto them all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but there cometh he that is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire: whose fan is in his hand, thoroughly to cleanse his threshing-floor, and to gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire."

With many other exhortations therefore preached he good tidings unto the people.

THE BAPTISM OF JESUS.

And it came to pa.s.s in those days, when all the people were baptized, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

But John would have hindered him, saying, "I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?"

But Jesus answering said unto him, "Suffer it now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness."

Then he suffereth him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water; and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of G.o.d descending as a dove, and coming upon him; and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

THE TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS.

Then straightway was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, and he was with the wild beasts, and did eat nothing in those days. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered.

And the tempter came and said unto him, "If thou art the Son of G.o.d, command that these stones become bread."

But he answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of G.o.d.'"

Then the devil taketh him into the holy city; and he set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, "If thou art the Son of G.o.d, cast thyself down: for it is written,

"'He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, to guard thee.'

and,

"'On their hands they shall bear thee up, Lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone.'"

Jesus said unto him, "Again it is written, 'Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy G.o.d.'"

Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and the glory of them.

And the devil said unto him, "To thee will I give all this authority, and the glory of them: for it hath been delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship before me, it shall all be thine."

Then saith Jesus unto him, "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written.

'Thou shalt worship the Lord thy G.o.d, and him only shalt thou serve.'"

And when the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him for a season; and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

JOHN'S TESTIMONY TO JESUS.

And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent unto him from Jerusalem priests and Levites to ask him, "Who art thou?" And he confessed and denied not; and he confessed, "I am not the Christ."

And they asked him, "What then? Art thou Elijah?"

And he saith, "I am not."

"Art thou the prophet?"

And he answered "No."

They said therefore unto him, "Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself?"

He said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as said Isaiah the prophet."

And they had been sent from the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, "Why then baptizest thou, if thou art not the Christ, neither Elijah, neither the prophet."

John answered them, saying, "I baptize in water: in the midst of you standeth one whom ye know not, even he that cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose."

These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

On the morrow he seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, "Behold, the Lamb of G.o.d, that taketh away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me cometh a man who is become before me: for he was before me.' And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing in water."

And John bare witness, saying, "I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven; and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize in water, he said unto me, 'Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon him, the same is he that baptizeth in the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of G.o.d."

THE BEGINNINGS OF FAITH

THE FIRST DISCIPLES BY THE JORDAN.

Again on the morrow John was standing, and two of his disciples; and he looked upon Jesus as he walked and saith, "Behold, the Lamb of G.o.d!" And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

And Jesus turned, and beheld them following, and saith unto them, "What seek ye?"

And they said unto him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), "where abidest thou?"

He saith unto them, "Come, and ye shall see."

They came therefore and saw where he abode; and they abode with him that day: it was about the tenth hour.

One of the two that heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He findeth first his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is, being interpreted, Christ). He brought him unto Jesus.

Jesus looked upon him, and said, "Thou art Simon the son of John: thou shalt be called Cephas" (which is by interpretation, Peter).

On the morrow he was minded to go forth into Galilee, and he findeth Philip: and Jesus saith unto him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of 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, wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."