6 “And gin aiblins we soud say, ‘Frae men,’ the folk ane‐an‐aʼ wull stane us to deid; for they are aʼ perswadit that John was a Prophet.”
“But what gaed ye oot for to see? A prophet? Aye! say I tʼye; mair nor a prophet!
And whan he wad hae putten him to deid, he was fleyʼt oʼ the people, for they reckonʼd him a Prophet.
“But gin we say, ‘Frae men,’ we are fleyʼt oʼ the people; for they aʼ haud John as a Prophet.”
But whan they socht to grip him, they fearʼt the crood; for they did haud him as a Prophet.
“But,” quoʼ they, “no at the Feast‐time; or thar wad be a stramash amang the people.”
And they ettled to lay haud oʼ him; but they war fleyʼt oʼ aʼ the folk; for they saw he had spoken this parable anent them: and leavin him, they gaʼed aff.
“And ye, bairn, sal be caʼd the Prophet oʼ the Maist Heigh; for ye sal gang on afore him, to mak ready his gangins;
But they coonsellʼt thegither by their sels, and said, “Gin we sal say ‘Frae Heeven,’ he wull answer, ‘Why believed‐ye‐na in him?’
And they answerʼt that they coudna tell whence he was.
But the Pharisees and the Writers pat aside the coonsel oʼ God again their sels, no bein bapteezʼt oʼ him.
And mony folk cam till him; and quoʼ they, “John schawed nae ferlies; but aʼ things that John spak aboot this man war true!”
Than gaed the Captain, wiʼ the officers, and feshʼt them wiʼ aʼ courtesie — for they war fleyʼd oʼ the folk, least they micht hae been staned.