20 ¹ ONE DAY, as he was teaching the people in the temple and telling them the good news, the priests and lawyers, and the elders with them, came upon him and accosted him. 20 ² 'Tell us', they said, 'by what authority you are acting like this; who gave you this authority?' 20 ³ He answered them, 'I have a question to ask you too: tell me, 20 ⁴ was the baptism of John from God or from men?' 20 ⁵ This set them arguing among themselves: 'If we say, "from God", he will say, "Why did you not believe him?" 20 ⁶ And if we say, "from men", the people will all stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.' 20 ⁷ So they replied that they could not tell. 20 ⁸ And Jesus said to them, 'Neither will I tell you by what authority I act.'