John 3:26

Green's Literal Translation

And they came to John and said to him, Teacher, the One who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have witnessed, behold, this One baptizes, and all are coming to Him.

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
They went to John and said, "Boss, the guy you pointed out as the Top Hand is now baptizing people like you did. Folks are going to him instead of coming to us."

Legacy Standard Bible
And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him."

Bible in Basic English
And they went to John and said to him, Rabbi, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, the man to whom you gave witness, is now giving baptism, and everyone is going to him.

Darby Translation
And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, he baptises, and all come to him.

New King James Version
And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified--behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"

Christian Standard Bible®
So they came to John and told him, "Rabbi, the One you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, is baptizing—and everyone is flocking to Him."

World English Bible
They came to John, and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, the same baptizes, and all men come to him."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And they came to John, and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou gavest testimony, behold he baptizeth, and all men come to him.

Weymouth's New Testament
they came to John and reported to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you on the other side of the Jordan and to whom you bore testimony is now baptizing, and great numbers of people are resorting to him."

King James Version (1611)
And they came vnto Iohn, and said vnto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Iordane, to whom thou barest witnesse, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and they came vnto Ihon, and sayde vnto him: Master, he yt was with the beyonde Iordan, of whom thou barest wytnesse, beholde, he baptyseth, and euery man cometh vnto him.

Mace New Testament (1729)
who thereupon went to John, and said, master, he that was with you beyond Jordan, to whom you bore testimony, he himself does now baptize likewise, and the people flock to him.

Amplified Bible
So they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi (Teacher), the Man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan [at the Jordan River crossing]—and to whom you have testified—look, He is baptizing too, and everyone is going to Him!"

American Standard Version
And they came unto John, and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou hast borne witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

Revised Standard Version
And they came to John, and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, here he is, baptizing, and all are going to him."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And they came vnto Iohn and sayde vnto him: Rabbi he that was with the beyonde Iordan to whom thou barest witnes. Beholde the same baptyseth and all me come to him.

Update Bible Version
And they came to John, and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness, look, the same baptizes, and all men come to him.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they came to John, and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou didst bear testimony, behold, the same baptizeth, and all [men] come to him.

New Century Version
So they came to John and said, "Teacher, remember the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you spoke about so much? He is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."

New English Translation
So they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, about whom you testified—see, he is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to him!"

Contemporary English Version
They went to John and said, "Rabbi, you spoke about a man when you were with him east of the Jordan. He is now baptizing people, and everyone is going to him."

Complete Jewish Bible
and they came to Yochanan and said to him, "Rabbi, you know the man who was with you on the other side of the Yarden, the one you spoke about? Well, here he is, immersing; and everyone is going to him!"

Geneva Bible (1587)
And they came vnto Iohn, and saide vnto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Iorden, to whom thou barest witnesse, behold, he baptizeth, and all men come to him.

George Lamsa Translation
So they came to John and told him, Teacher, he who was with you at the Jordan crossing, concerning whom you testified, behold, he also is baptizing and a great many are coming to him.

Hebrew Names Version
They came to Yochanan, and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Yarden, to whom you have testified, behold, the same immerses, and everyone is coming to him."

International Standard Version
They went to John and told him, "RabbiRabbi is Heb. for Master and/or Teacher">[fn] , the man who was with you on the other side[fn] of the Jordan, the one about whom you testified - look, he's baptizing, and all are going to him!"John 1:7,15, 27,34;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And they came to Juchanon, and said to him, Raban, he who was with thee at the passage of Jurdan, (and) concerning whom thou didst give witness, he also baptizeth, and many come to him.

Murdock Translation
And they came to John, and said to him: Our Rabbi, he who was with thee beyond Jordan, and of whom thou gavest testimony, lo, he also baptizeth; and many go after him.

New Living Translation
So John's disciples came to him and said, "Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us."

New Life Bible
They came to John and said to him, "Teacher, the One with you on the other side of the Jordan River is baptizing also. He is the One you told of. Everyone is going to Him."

English Revised Version
And they came unto John, and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou hast borne witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

Berean Standard Bible
So John's disciples came to him and said, "Look, Rabbi, the One who was with you beyond the Jordan, the One you testified about-He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him."

New Revised Standard
They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And they came unto John, and said unto him - Rabbi! he who was with thee beyond the Jordan, unto whom, thou, hast borne witness, see! the same, is immersing; and, all, are coming unto him.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they came to John and said to him: Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou gavest testimony: behold, he baptizeth and all men come to him.

King James Version
And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

Lexham English Bible
And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, about whom you testified—look, this one is baptizing, and all are coming to him!"

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they came vnto Iohn, and sayde vnto hym: Rabbi, he that was with thee beyonde Iordane, to whom thou barest witnesse, beholde the same baptizeth, and all men come to hym.

Easy-to-Read Version
Then they came to John and said, "Teacher, remember the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River? He is the one you were telling everyone about. He is also baptizing people, and many are going to him."

English Standard Version
And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him."

New American Standard Bible
And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing and all the people are coming to Him."

Good News Translation
So they went to John and told him, "Teacher, you remember the man who was with you on the east side of the Jordan, the one you spoke about? Well, he is baptizing now, and everyone is going to him!"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei camen to Joon, and seiden `to hym, Maister, he that was with thee biyonde Jordan, to whom thou hast borun witnessyng, lo! he baptisith, and alle men comen to hym.

Young's Literal Translation
and they came unto John, and said to him, `Rabbi, he who was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou didst testify, lo, this one is baptizing, and all are coming unto him.'

Contextual Overview

²² After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea. And He continued there with them and baptized. ²³ And John was also baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, for many waters were there. And they came and were being baptized. ²⁴ For John had not yet been thrown into the prison. ²⁵ Then a question from John's disciples arose with the Jews about purification. ²⁶ And they came to John and said to him, Teacher, the One who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have witnessed, behold, this One baptizes, and all are coming to Him. ²⁷ John answered and said, A man is able to receive nothing unless it has been given to him from Heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves witness to me that I said, I am not the Christ, but that having been sent, I am going before that One. ²⁹ The one having the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, standing and hearing him, rejoices with joy because of the bridegroom's voice. Then this my joy has been fulfilled. ³⁰ That One must increase, but I must decrease. ³¹ The One having come from above is above all. The one being of the earth is earthy, and speaks of the earth. The One coming out of Heaven is above all.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he that: Numbers 11:26-29, Ecclesiastes 4:4, 1 Corinthians 3:3-5, Galatians 5:20, Galatians 5:21, Galatians 6:12, Galatians 6:13, James 3:14-18, James 4:5, James 4:6

to whom: John 1:7, John 1:15, John 1:26-36

and all: John 1:7, John 1:9, John 11:48, John 12:19, Psalms 65:2, Isaiah 45:23, Acts 19:26, Acts 19:27

Reciprocal: Numbers 11:28 - My Lord Matthew 21:25 - baptism Matthew 23:7 - Rabbi Mark 1:37 - All Luke 3:3 - the country Luke 7:18 - General Luke 7:26 - General Luke 20:5 - Why John 1:35 - and two John 1:38 - Rabbi John 3:2 - Rabbi John 3:22 - and baptized John 3:32 - and no John 4:1 - that Jesus John 5:33 - he John 7:18 - seeketh his glory John 10:40 - the place John 10:41 - many Romans 5:18 - all men 1 Corinthians 4:6 - be puffed Hebrews 6:2 - the doctrine

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they came unto John,.... The Persic version reads, "he came unto John"; that disciple that had the controversy with the Jew about purifying, who not knowing well how to answer him, and which might be the case of more, applied to John:

and said unto him, Rabbi; or "master"; or, "our master"; as the Syriac and Persic versions read, which was a title of great respect, and reverence, and much in use in those times; :- :-. The Arabic version joins this word to the following clause, and applies it to Christ, rendering it thus, "the master that was with thee beyond Jordan"; which is making them to speak more honourably of Christ than they intended; for though they speak very respectfully to John, yet with much disdain and neglect of Christ; not so much as mentioning his name, or using any term of honour or respect; only saying,

he that was with thee beyond Jordan; namely, at Bethabara; who came from Galilee to Jordan, unto John, to be baptized by him, and who was baptized by him; and for some little time continued with him, and attended on his ministry; and as they thought, was a disciple of John's:

to whom thou bearest witness; that he was before him, and to be preferred unto him; and that he was the Lamb of God, and even the Son of God; suggesting, that by this testimony of his, Christ had gained all the credit and reputation he had; and that therefore he had done a wrong thing in enlarging so much in the praise and commendation of him:

behold the same baptizeth; takes upon him to administer the ordinance of baptism; at least gives orders to administer it; which John's disciples thought was the proper, and peculiar business of their master; and therefore speak of this as an intrusion into his office, and an entering into his province; and an assuming that which only belonged to him: and what gave still more uneasiness, and increased the complaint, was,

and all men come to him; that is, "many", as the Syriac and Persic versions render it, even more than came to John; see John 4:1. Large multitudes from all parts flocked to hear Christ preach, and great numbers were made disciples by him, and then baptized. That he should baptize, gave them great offence; and that he was so followed, raised their envy; and his being so near to John, might add to their uneasiness. It is a rule with the Jews, that

"it is not lawful for a disciple to teach the constitutions, or sentences of the law, before his master; but must be twelve miles distant from him, as the camp of Israel.''

And they say, that

"a disciple that teaches before, or in the presence of his master, is guilty of death r.''

r T. Hieros. Sheviith, fol. 37. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Came unto John - Came to him with their complaint; envious and jealous at the success of Jesus, and evidently irritated from the discussion, as if their master was about to lose his popularity.

Rabbi - Master. See the notes at Matthew 23:7. Acknowledging him as their master and teacher.

That was with thee - Who was baptized by thee.

Thou barest witness - See John 1:29-35.

All men come to him - This was the source of their difficulty. It was that Jesus was gaining popularity; that the people flocked to him; that they feared that John would be forsaken, and his followers be diminished in numbers and influence. Thus many love their sect more than they do Christ, and would be more rejoiced that a man became a Presbyterian, a Methodist, a Baptist, than that he became a sincere and humble Christian. This is not the spirit of the gospel. True piety teaches us to rejoice that sinners turn to Christ and become holy, whether they follow us or not. See Mark 9:38-39. Let Jesus be exalted, and let men turn to Him, is the language of religion, whatever denomination they may feel it their duty to follow.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 26. And they came unto John — That he might decide the question.