Luke 3:1-6

Common English Bible

John the Baptist’s message

3 In the fifteenth year of the rule of the emperor Tiberius—when Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea and Herod was ruler^[a] over Galilee, his brother Philip was ruler^[b] over Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was ruler^[c] over Abilene, ²during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas—God’s word came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³John went throughout the region of the Jordan River, calling for people to be baptized to show that they were changing their hearts and lives and wanted God to forgive their sins. ⁴This is just as it was written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

A voice crying out in the wilderness:
    “Prepare the way for the Lord;
        make his paths straight.
⁵Every valley will be filled,
    and every mountain and hill will be leveled.
The crooked will be made straight
    and the rough places made smooth.
⁶All humanity will see God’s salvation.”^[d]