Mark 1:1-8

English Standard Version

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, ^(A)the Son of God.^[a]

²^(B)As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,^[b]

^(C)“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way,
³^(D)the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
    ^(E)‘Prepare^[c] the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight,’”

⁴^(F)John appeared, baptizing in ^(G)the wilderness and proclaiming ^(H)a baptism of ^(I)repentance ^(J)for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, ^(K)confessing their sins. ⁶Now John was ^(L)clothed with camel's hair and ^(M)wore a leather belt around his waist and ate ^(N)locusts and ^(O)wild honey. ⁷And he preached, saying, ^(P)“After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸^(Q)I have baptized you with water, but ^(R)he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”