But John ¹  tried to prevent ²  him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?”

biblegateway Mat 3:14

But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?"

But John tried to stop Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?"

But John tried to prevent him, saying, "_I need_ to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?

biblegateway Mat 3:14

But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?"

John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

bibleoremus Mat 3:14

John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

John tried to dissuade him. “Do you come to me?” he said. “It is I who need to be baptized by you.”

biblegateway Mat 3:14

And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"

But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

biblegateway Mat 3:14

But John ¹  tried to prevent ²  him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?”

¹ tc ‡ The earliest mss (א* B sa) lack the name of John here (“but he tried to prevent him,” instead of “but John tried to prevent him”). It is, however, clearly implied (and is thus supplied in translation). Although the longer reading has excellent support (Ì⁹⁶ א¹ C D^s L W 0233 0250 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat[t] sy mae bo), it looks to be a motivated and predictable reading: Scribes apparently could not resist adding this clarification.

² tn The imperfect verb has been translated conatively.