Section IV.

[1] 229No man hath seen God at any time; the only Son, God,230 which is in the bosom of his Father, he hath told of him.

[2] 231And this is the witness of John when the Jews sent to him from Jerusalem priests [3] and Levites to ask him, Who art thou?  232And he acknowledged, and denied not; [4] and he confessed that he was not the Messiah.  233And they asked him again, What then?  Art thou Elijah?  And he said, I am not he.  Art thou a prophet?  He [5] said, No.  234They said unto him, Then who art thou? that we may answer them that [6] sent us.  What sayest thou of thyself?  235And he said, I am the voice that crieth in [7] the desert, Repair ye the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.  236And they [8] that were sent were from237 the Pharisees.  238And they asked him and said unto him, Why baptizest thou now, when thou art not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor a prophet?  [9] 239John answered and said unto them, I baptize with240 water:  among you is standing [10] one whom ye know not:  241this is he who I said cometh after me and was before [11] me, the latchets of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose.  242And that was in Bethany beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

[12] 243Now John’s raiment was camel’s hair, and he was girded with skins, and his food [13] [Arabic, p. 15] was of locusts and honey of the wilderness.244   ²⁴⁵Then went out unto him the people of Jerusalem, and all Judæa, and all the region which is about the [14, 15] Jordan; 246and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.  247But when he saw many of the Pharisees248 and Sadducees249 coming to be baptized, he said unto them, Ye children of vipers, who hath led you to flee from the wrath to come?  [16, 17] 250Do now the fruits which are worthy of repentance; 251and think and say not within yourselves, We have a father, even Abraham; for I say unto you, that God is able to [18] raise up of these stones children unto Abraham.  252Behold, the axe hath been laid at the roots of the trees, and so every tree that beareth not good fruit shall be taken and [19] cast into the fire.  253And the multitudes were asking him and saying, What shall we do?  [20] 254He answered and said unto them, He that hath two tunics shall255 give to him that [21] hath not; and he that hath food shall256 do likewise.  257And the publicans also came [22] to be baptized, and they said unto him, Teacher, what shall we do?  258He said unto [23] them, Seek not more than what ye are commanded to seek.  259And the servants260 of the guard asked him and said, And we also, what shall we do?  He said unto them, Do not violence to any man, nor wrong him; and let your allowances satisfy you.

[24] 261And when the people were conjecturing about John, and all of them thinking [25] in their hearts whether he were haply262 the Messiah, 263John answered and said unto them, I baptize you with water; there cometh one after me who is stronger than I, the latchets of whose shoes I am not worthy to loosen; he will baptize you with the [26] Holy Spirit and fire:  264who taketh the fan in his hand to cleanse his threshing-floors, [Arabic, p. 16] and the wheat he gathereth into his garners, while the straw he shall burn in fire which can265 not be put out.

[27] 266And other things he taught and preached among the people.

[28] 267Then came Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized of him.  [29] 268And Jesus was about thirty years old, and it was supposed that he was the son of [30] Joseph.269  270And John saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, This is the Lamb of [31] God, that taketh on itself the burden of the sins of the world!  271This is he concerning whom I said, There cometh after me a man who was before me, because he was [32] before me.272  273And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, [33] for this cause came I to baptize with water.  274And John was hindering him and [34] saying, I have need of being baptized by thee, and comest thou to me?  275Jesus answered him and said, Suffer this now:  thus it is our duty to fulfill all righteousness.  [35] Then he suffered him.  276And when all the people were baptized, Jesus also [36] was baptized.  277And immediately he went up out of the water, and heaven opened [37] [Arabic, p. 17] to him,278279and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the similitude of the [38] body of a dove; 280and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved [39] Son, in whom I am well pleased.  281And John bare witness and said, I beheld the [40] Spirit descend from heaven like a dove; and it abode upon him.  282But I knew him not; but he that sent me to baptize with water, he said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt behold the Spirit descending and lighting upon him, the same is he that [41] baptizeth with the Holy Spirit.  283And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God.

[42, 43] 284And Jesus returned from the Jordan, filled with the Holy Spirit.  285And immediately the Spirit took him out into the wilderness, to be tried of the devil;286287and he [44] was with the beasts.  288And he fasted forty days and forty nights.  289And he ate nothing [45] in those days, and at the end of