do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

TH

XVII.

Christ baptized by John the Baptist.

HEN cometh Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee, to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him; but John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and straightway coming up out of the water, praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

ΑΝ

XVIII.

The temptation in the wilderness.

ND Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, and he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered; and the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

And he brought him to Jerusalem, the holy city, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence; for it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

And the devil, taking him up into an exceeding high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them in a moment of time; and the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them; for that is delivered

unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it : if thou therefore wilt fall down and worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou

serve.

And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. And Jesus was

there in the wilderness with the wild beasts; and the angels came and ministered unto him.

ΑΝ

XIX.

John the Baptist's testimony to Christ.

ND the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not.

And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they 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 the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees; and they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; one mightier than I; he it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, for he was before me; the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to bear, or to stoop down to unloose; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire; whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.

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

XX.

John the Baptist's second testimony to Christ.

THE

HE next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is pre

ferred before me; for he was before me. And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him; and I knew him not; but he that sent 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 which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

XXI.

Christ's first disciples, Andrew and Simon Peter.

AGAIN, the next day after, John stood, and two of

his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, which is to say, being interpreted, Master, where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day; for it was about the tenth hour.