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John Prepares for Jesus

This is the beginning of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God,[a] as the prophet Isaiah wrote:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you.
    He will prepare your way.” Malachi 3:1
“There is a voice of a man who
    calls out in the desert:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
    Make the road straight for him.’” Isaiah 40:3

John was baptizing people in the desert. He preached a baptism of changed hearts and lives for the forgiveness of sins. All the people from Judea and Jerusalem were going out to John. They told about the sins they had done. Then they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothes made from camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. This is what John preached to the people: “There is one coming later who is greater than I. I am not good enough even to kneel down and untie his sandals. I baptize you with water. But the one who is coming will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1:1 the Son of God Some Greek copies do not have this phrase.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way(A)

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,[a] the Son of God,[b](B) as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

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

And so John the Baptist(E) appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance(F) for the forgiveness of sins.(G) 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. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist,(H) and he ate locusts(I) and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.(J) I baptize you with[e] water, but he will baptize you with[f] the Holy Spirit.”(K)

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 1:1 Or Jesus Christ. Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) both mean Anointed One.
  2. Mark 1:1 Some manuscripts do not have the Son of God.
  3. Mark 1:2 Mal. 3:1
  4. Mark 1:3 Isaiah 40:3
  5. Mark 1:8 Or in
  6. Mark 1:8 Or in