³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.^(A)

John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

¹⁹ Now this was John’s^(A) testimony when the Jewish leaders^[a](B) in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.

¹⁹ From among all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons^(A) to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites^(B) and to make atonement for them^(C) so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”