²⁴ When John's messengers had gone, Jesus^[a] began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out ^(A)into the wilderness to see? ^(B)A reed shaken by the wind?

¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, ^(A)tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in ^(B)deceitful schemes.

² during ^(A)the high priesthood of Annas and ^(B)Caiaphas, ^(C)the word of God came to ^(D)John the son of Zechariah in ^(E)the wilderness.

^80 (A)And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was ^(B)in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, ^(A)knowing this beforehand, ^(B)take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.

^17 (A)These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. ^(B)For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved.

⁶ But ^(A)let him ask in faith, ^(B)with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like ^(C)a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ^8 (D)he is a double-minded man, ^(E)unstable in all his ways.

¹⁷ Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans ^(A)according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? ¹⁸ As surely as ^(B)God is faithful, ^(C)our word to you has not been Yes and No. ¹⁹ For ^(D)the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, ^(E)Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but ^(F)in him it is always Yes. ²⁰ For ^(G)all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our ^(H)Amen to God for his glory.

²³ He said, “I am ^(A)the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight^[a] the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”