John 1:19-28 Translation

John 1:
19. And this is the testimony John gave when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him who he was.  You might ask yourself why is "aute" the feminine form used?  Variant readings exist for the 'kai" at the beginning of 19. They want to change it to "now" which is fine but not because as some assert this is where John originally started his Gospel (Anchor, p.42). Also, and this may be correct the "to him" was not in many earlier manuscripts. The arguments are shown in your NA27th at bottom of the page. By the way if you can not make heads or tails from the lettering look at the beginning of the NA, NT or the GNT it is explained there.
20. And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.  This is an interesting place for John to use the famous "I am" ego eimi. John the evangelist has John the baptizer emphatically saing "I am Not" in contrast to Christ saying "I am". 
21. And they asked him, What therefore? Are you Elias? And he saith, I am not. Are you that prophet? And he answered, No. Oun John uses this about 195 times in his Gospel. Awkward here in the English. Some translate it "Well". Did you come up with something better? Let me know.
22. Then they said to him, Who are you? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What do you say about (concerning) yourself?  
23. He said, 
                    I am a voice crying out in the desert
                    Prepare the way of the Lord,
                    as said the prophet Isaiah.  This is quoted from Isaiah 11:3. It is taken from the LXX. In the MT 'desert" does not modify "voice". Here we have John in the desert/wilderness doing his work. The LXX fits better. And the LXX is mostly quoted in the NT.
24. And those being sent were of the Pharisees. Notice the participle here. Can be translated differently. How did you handle it?
25. And they asked him, and said to him, Why do you baptize then, if you are not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? 
26. John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there stands one among you, whom you do not know; Notice here the usage of the present tense. This could be a direct quote or what is often referred to as the historical present. It is used as we might to pick up the action in a story. 
27. He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. Again a variant this time with the ego of the famous ego eimi. It is omitted in this translation, but one can see how it could fit in nicely with the other one in vs.20. 
28. These things were done in Bethany beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. Interesting geological sites, claiming in part to be the spot where John baptized many including Jesus. This spot is across the Jordan River on its Eastern banks, which is down the Jericho road from Jerusalem.