The Mission of John the Baptist

Luke 3:16

In 9 translations

BSB: John answered all of them: “I baptize you with water, but One more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.Or in waterCited in Acts 13:25Or in the Holy Spirit and in fire
KJV: John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
WEB: John answered them all, “I indeed baptize you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire.
ASV: 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:
LSV: John answered, saying to all, “I indeed immerse you in water, but He comes who is mightier than I, of whom I am not worthy to loose the strap of His sandals—He will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and fire;
YLT: John answered, saying to all, 'I indeed with water do baptise you, but he cometh who is mightier than I, of whom I am not worthy to loose the latchet of his sandals — he shall baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire;
DBY: John answered all, saying, I indeed baptise you with water, but the mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not fit to unloose; he shall baptise you with [the] Holy Spirit and fire;
DRC: John answered, saying unto all: I indeed baptize you with water; but there shall come one mightier that I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
GNV: Iohn answered, and saide to them all, In deede I baptize you with water, but one stronger then I, commeth, whose shoes latchet I am not worthy to vnloose: hee will baptize you with the holy Ghost, and with fire.

Word by word Greek · tap a word

Words in brackets are English the glossers added; the Greek has no word for them, and they can carry a choice of tense or meaning.

Where the editions differ

Editions are published forms of the Hebrew and Greek texts. Meet the editions and sources →

NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort read πᾶσιν (“[to] all”); Tregelles, Textus Receptus, Byzantine text read ἅπασιν (“[to] all”).

Spelling, punctuation and minor wording (2)

Word order: Tregelles, Textus Receptus, Byzantine text place λέγων elsewhere in this verse.
Spelling of Ἰωάννης: Westcott–Hort: Ἰωάνης.

SBLGNT apparatus (1)

A comparison of published Greek editions. “Add” means after the SBLGNT wording; “omit” refers to that wording.

SBLGNT: λέγων πᾶσιν ὁ Ἰωάννης. Westcott and Hort (1881), Nestle–Aland 28th edition read λέγων πᾶσιν ὁ Ἰωάννης; Tregelles, Robinson–Pierpont read ὁ Ἰωάννης ἅπασιν λέγων.

Edition differences: STEP Bible, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0). Names and codes expanded; consecutive words grouped. Comparisons follow the editions used by the source; see version details.

Original-language editions

SBLGNT: ἀπεκρίνατο λέγων πᾶσιν ὁ Ἰωάννης· Ἐγὼ μὲν ὕδατι βαπτίζω ὑμᾶς· ἔρχεται δὲ ὁ ἰσχυρότερός μου, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς λῦσαι τὸν ἱμάντα τῶν ὑποδημάτων αὐτοῦ· αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς βαπτίσει ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρί·
RP2018: ἀπεκρίνατο ὁ Ἰωάννης, ἅπασιν λέγων, Ἐγὼ μὲν ὕδατι βαπτίζω ὑμᾶς· ἔρχεται δὲ ὁ ἰσχυρότερός μου, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς λῦσαι τὸν ἱμάντα τῶν ὑποδημάτων αὐτοῦ· αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς βαπτίσει ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρί·
TR-Boyd: ἀπεκρίνατο ὁ Ἰωάννης, ἅπασι λέγων, Ἐγὼ μὲν ὕδατι βαπτίζω ὑμᾶς· ἔρχεται δὲ ὁ ἰσχυρότερός μου, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς λῦσαι τὸν ἱμάντα τῶν ὑποδημάτων αὐτοῦ· αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς βαπτίσει ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρί·
SCR1894: απεκρινατο ο ιωαννης απασιν λεγων εγω μεν υδατι βαπτιζω υμας ερχεται δε ο ισχυροτερος μου ου ουκ ειμι ικανος λυσαι τον ιμαντα των υποδηματων αυτου αυτος υμας βαπτισει εν πνευματι αγιω και πυρι

Who and where

👤 Holy Spirit 👤 John the Baptist◆ John the Baptist Begins Ministry

People, places and events the Theographic dataset links to this verse.

In the reference works topics that cite this verse

Lachet Latchet Shoe Baptism (the Baptist Interpretation)Foot Shoe; Shoe-Latchet John the Baptist Mary Fire Trinity

From public-domain Bible dictionaries and topical indexes (1884–1915).

Cross-references most cited first

Matthew 3:11I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Acts 1:5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 11:15–16As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He had fallen upon us at the beginning. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, as He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with…
John 1:33I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
John 1:26“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands One you do not know.
Joel 2:28–29And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out…
Acts 19:4–5Paul explained: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 2:3–4They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Malachi 3:2–3But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap. And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons…
Zechariah 13:9This third I will bring through the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our…
Isaiah 4:4when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains from the heart of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.
Mark 1:7–8And he began to proclaim: “After me will come One more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 12:13For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.
Isaiah 32:15until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high. Then the desert will be an orchard, and the orchard will seem like a forest.
Acts 2:17–18‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on My menservants and maidservants I…
Proverbs 1:23If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.

From the OpenBible.info cross-reference set (votes from readers; not every link is a quotation or allusion).