Matthew 3:1
New Living Translation
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
3 In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was,
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Matthew 3:1
New International Version
John the Baptist Prepares the Way(A)
3 In those days John the Baptist(B) came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
Isaiah 40:3-6
New Living Translation
3 Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,
“Clear the way through the wilderness
for the Lord!
Make a straight highway through the wasteland
for our God!
4 Fill in the valleys,
and level the mountains and hills.
Straighten the curves,
and smooth out the rough places.
5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
The Lord has spoken!”[a]
6 A voice said, “Shout!”
I asked, “What should I shout?”
“Shout that people are like the grass.
Their beauty fades as quickly
as the flowers in a field.
Footnotes
- 40:3-5 Greek version reads He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, / “Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! / Clear a road for our God! / Fill in the valleys, / and level the mountains and hills. / And then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, / and all people will see the salvation sent from God. / The Lord has spoken!” Compare Matt 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4-6.
Isaiah 40:3-6
New International Version
3 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)
4 Every valley shall be raised up,(D)
every mountain and hill(E) made low;
the rough ground shall become level,(F)
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory(G) of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.(H)
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”(I)
6 A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,(J)
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 40:3 Or A voice of one calling in the wilderness: / “Prepare the way for the Lord
- Isaiah 40:3 Hebrew; Septuagint make straight the paths of our God
Matthew 11:11
New Living Translation
11 “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is!
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Matthew 11:11
New International Version
11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Acts 13:24-25
New Living Translation
24 Before he came, John the Baptist preached that all the people of Israel needed to repent of their sins and turn to God and be baptized. 25 As John was finishing his ministry he asked, ‘Do you think I am the Messiah? No, I am not! But he is coming soon—and I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the sandals on his feet.’
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Acts 13:24-25
New International Version
24 Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel.(A) 25 As John was completing his work,(B) he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for.(C) But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’(D)
John 1:6-8
New Living Translation
6 God sent a man, John the Baptist,[a] 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light.
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- 1:6 Greek a man named John.
John 1:6-8
New International Version
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John.(A) 7 He came as a witness to testify(B) concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.(C) 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
Luke 1:13-17
New Living Translation
13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.[a] 16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. 17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,[b] and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”
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Luke 1:13-17
New International Version
13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid,(A) Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.(B) 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,(C) 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink,(D) and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit(E) even before he is born.(F) 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,(G) in the spirit and power of Elijah,(H) to turn the hearts of the parents to their children(I) and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”(J)
Matthew 16:14
New Living Translation
14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”
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Matthew 16:14
New International Version
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;(A) others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”(B)
Acts 19:3-4
New Living Translation
3 “Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked.
And they replied, “The baptism of John.”
4 Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.”
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Acts 19:3-4
New International Version
3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism,” they replied.
4 Paul said, “John’s baptism(A) was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”(B)
Acts 1:22
New Living Translation
22 from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us. Whoever is chosen will join us as a witness of Jesus’ resurrection.”
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Acts 1:22
New International Version
22 beginning from John’s baptism(A) to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness(B) with us of his resurrection.”
Luke 7:24
New Living Translation
24 After John’s disciples left, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind?
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Luke 7:24
New International Version
24 After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?
Luke 3:1-20
New Living Translation
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
3 It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler[a] over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler[b] over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene. 2 Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. 3 Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. 4 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said,
“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
Clear the road for him!
5 The valleys will be filled,
and the mountains and hills made level.
The curves will be straightened,
and the rough places made smooth.
6 And then all people will see
the salvation sent from God.’”[c]
7 When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. 9 Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”
10 The crowds asked, “What should we do?”
11 John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”
12 Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13 He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.”
14 “What should we do?” asked some soldiers.
John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”
15 Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. 16 John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with[d] water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.[e] 17 He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” 18 John used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people.
19 John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee,[f] for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. 20 So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others.
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Luke 3:1-20
New International Version
John the Baptist Prepares the Way(A)(B)
3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate(C) was governor of Judea, Herod(D) tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,(E) the word of God came to John(F) son of Zechariah(G) in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.(H) 4 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.
5 Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’”[a](I)
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers!(J) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?(K) 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’(L) For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”(M)
10 “What should we do then?”(N) the crowd asked.
11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”(O)
12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized.(P) “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,”(Q) he told them.
14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely(R)—be content with your pay.”
15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John(S) might possibly be the Messiah.(T) 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with[b] water.(U) But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with[c] the Holy Spirit and fire.(V) 17 His winnowing fork(W) is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”(X) 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.
19 But when John rebuked Herod(Y) the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, 20 Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.(Z)
Luke 1:76
New Living Translation
76 “And you, my little son,
will be called the prophet of the Most High,
because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
Luke 1:76
New International Version
John 3:27-36
New Living Translation
27 John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. 28 You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ 29 It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. 30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
31 “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else.[a] 32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! 33 Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. 34 For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. 36 And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”
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- 3:31 Some manuscripts do not include and is greater than anyone else.
John 3:27-36
New International Version
27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’(A) 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom.(B) The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.(C) 30 He must become greater; I must become less.”[a]
31 The one who comes from above(D) is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth.(E) The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard,(F) but no one accepts his testimony.(G) 33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent(H) speaks the words of God, for God[b] gives the Spirit(I) without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.(J) 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,(K) but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
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