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The Preaching of John the Baptist

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, (A)the Son of God.

(B)As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

(C)Behold, I send My messenger [a]ahead of You,
Who will prepare Your way;
(D)The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Make ready the way of the [b]Lord,
Make His paths straight.’”

[c]John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness [d](E)preaching a baptism of repentance for the (F)forgiveness of sins. And all the region of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. And John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore (G)a leather belt around his waist and was eating locusts and wild honey. And he was [e]preaching, saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the strap of His sandals. I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 1:2 Lit before your face
  2. Mark 1:3 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Is 40:3
  3. Mark 1:4 Gr Joannes, Heb Johanan; so in Mark
  4. Mark 1:4 Or proclaiming
  5. Mark 1:7 Or proclaiming

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.[a] It began just as the prophet Isaiah had written:

“Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
    and he will prepare your way.[b]
He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
    Clear the road for him!’[c]

This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.

John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. I baptize you with[d] water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”

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Footnotes

  1. 1:1 Some manuscripts do not include the Son of God.
  2. 1:2 Mal 3:1.
  3. 1:3 Isa 40:3 (Greek version).
  4. 1:8 Or in; also in 1:8b.