John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)

3 In those days ^(B)John the Baptist came preaching ^(C)in the wilderness of Judea,

² and saying, “Repent, for ^(A)the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

³ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

⁴ Now ^(A)John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was ^(B)locusts and ^(C)wild honey.

^5 (A)Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him

^6 (A)and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.