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standing praying in the niche, "God promiseth unto thee John,
confirmer of the Word of God, a chaste lord and one of the good
prophets." He bare witness, speaking about the Christ, when [the
message] was sent to him from the wilderness to baptize the children of
Israel, and to proclaim to them the Christ. The priests of the Jews and the
children of Israel came from every place. When the children of Israel saw
him they said to him, "Art thou the Christ whom we look for?" He
said unto them, "I am not the Christ." They said, "Art thou
the prophet whom God told Moses at Mount Sinai that He would raise up unto
you a prophet like unto me; obey him? " John said unto them, "I am
not the prophet." They said unto him, "Who art thou?" He
said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight
the way of the Lord, and make His path even, as God said by the tongue of
Isaiah the prophet about the Christ, and about John the son of Zacharia, I
will send my Messenger before thee, and he shall prepare thy ways. I have
come before the Christ that I may prepare His paths and proclaim Him to man.
I baptize you with the water of a pure baptism, but there standeth one among
you whom ye see not, who cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am
not worthy to unloose; He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with
fire." When it was the morrow, behold, there was the Christ, and he
said, "Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world.
This is He of whom I said to you that He cometh after me, and He is present
with me, for He was before me; and I knew Him not, but He who sent me to
baptize, He said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and
abiding upon Him, He is the Christ, the Son of God, who baptizeth with the
Holy Ghost, and taketh away the trespasses of men, and cleanseth them from
their sins." John the son of Zacharia bare witness that He was before
him, God of God, and that He wipeth out the sins of men and cleanseth their
hearts, and He baptizeth those who believe in Him with the Holy Ghost and
with fire. This is because the Christ cleanseth souls, and purifieth them
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