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A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
    make straight in the desert a highway for our God.(A)

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A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
    the way(A) for the Lord[a];
make straight(B) in the desert
    a highway for our God.[b](C)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 40:3 Or A voice of one calling in the wilderness: / “Prepare the way for the Lord
  2. Isaiah 40:3 Hebrew; Septuagint make straight the paths of our God

The Coming Messenger

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.(A)

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“I will send my messenger,(A) who will prepare the way before me.(B) Then suddenly the Lord(C) you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant,(D) whom you desire,(E) will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

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As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,[a]

“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,[b]
    who will prepare your way,(A)
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
    ‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
    make his paths straight,’ ”(B)

so John the baptizer appeared[c] in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.(C) And the whole Judean region and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins.

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Footnotes

  1. 1.2 Other ancient authorities read in the prophets
  2. 1.2 Gk before your face
  3. 1.4 Other ancient authorities read John was baptizing

as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way”[a](A)
“a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”[b](B)

And so John the Baptist(C) appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance(D) for the forgiveness of sins.(E) The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 1:2 Mal. 3:1
  2. Mark 1:3 Isaiah 40:3

23 He said,

“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ ”

as the prophet Isaiah said.(A)

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23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness,(A) ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”[a](B)

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Footnotes

  1. John 1:23 Isaiah 40:3

The Proclamation of John the Baptist

In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”[a](A) This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
    make his paths straight.’ ”(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 3.2 Or is at hand

John the Baptist Prepares the Way(A)

In those days John the Baptist(B) came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven(C) has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”[a](D)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 3:3 Isaiah 40:3

16 He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.(A) 17 With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”(B)

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16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord,(A) in the spirit and power of Elijah,(B) to turn the hearts of the parents to their children(C) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”(D)

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See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.(A) He will turn the hearts of parents to their children and the hearts of children to their parents, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 4.6 Or a ban of utter destruction

“See, I will send the prophet Elijah(A) to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.(B) He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children,(C) and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike(D) the land with total destruction.”(E)

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76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High,
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,(A)
77 to give his people knowledge of salvation
    by the forgiveness of their sins.(B)

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76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet(A) of the Most High;(B)
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,(C)
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,(D)

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A Promise of Help and Healing

14 It shall be said,
“Build up, build up, prepare the way;
    remove every obstruction from my people’s way.”(A)

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Comfort for the Contrite

14 And it will be said:

“Build up, build up, prepare the road!(A)
    Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”(B)

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19 I am about to do a new thing;
    now it springs forth; do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
    and rivers in the desert.(A)

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19 See, I am doing a new thing!(A)
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness(B)
    and streams in the wasteland.(C)

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A highway shall be there,[a]
    and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,[b]
    but it shall be for God’s people;[c]
    no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 35.8 Q ms Gk Syr: MT A highway and a way shall be there
  2. 35.8 Or pass it by
  3. 35.8 Cn: Heb for them

And a highway(A) will be there;
    it will be called the Way of Holiness;(B)
    it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean(C) will not journey on it;
    wicked fools will not go about on it.

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10 Go through, go through the gates;
    prepare the way for the people;
build up, build up the highway;
    clear it of stones;
    lift up an ensign over the peoples.(A)
11 The Lord has proclaimed
    to the end of the earth:
Say to daughter Zion,
    “Look, your savior comes;
his reward is with him
    and his recompense before him.”(B)

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10 Pass through, pass through the gates!(A)
    Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway!(B)
    Remove the stones.
Raise a banner(C) for the nations.

11 The Lord has made proclamation
    to the ends of the earth:(D)
“Say to Daughter Zion,(E)
    ‘See, your Savior comes!(F)
See, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense accompanies him.’”(G)

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during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.(A) He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
    make his paths straight.(B)
Every valley shall be filled,
    and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
    and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”(C)

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during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,(A) the word of God came to John(B) son of Zechariah(C) in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.(D) As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.
Every valley shall be filled in,
    every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
    the rough ways smooth.
And all people will see God’s salvation.’”[a](E)

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 3:6 Isaiah 40:3-5