John the Baptist Prepares the Way(A)

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

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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)
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.
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)

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.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 40:3 Or A voice of one calling in the wilderness: / “Prepare the way for the Lord
  2. Isaiah 40:3 Hebrew; Septuagint make straight the paths of our God

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.

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There was a man sent from God whose name was John.(A) He came as a witness to testify(B) concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.(C) He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

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14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;(A) others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”(B)

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So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

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)

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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)

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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.”

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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?

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John the Baptist Prepares the Way(A)(B)

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— during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,(E) the word of God came to John(F) son of Zechariah(G) in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.(H) 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.
Every valley shall be filled in,
    every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
    the rough ways smooth.
And all people will see God’s salvation.’”[a](I)

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) 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. 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)

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 3:6 Isaiah 40:3-5
  2. Luke 3:16 Or in
  3. Luke 3:16 Or in

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)

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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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Footnotes

  1. John 3:30 Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 36.
  2. John 3:34 Greek he

15 (John testified(A) concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”)(B) 16 Out of his fullness(C) we have all received grace(D) in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses;(E) grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.(F) 18 No one has ever seen God,(G) but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[a](H) is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

19 Now this was John’s(I) testimony when the Jewish leaders[b](J) in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”(K)

21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”(L)

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”(M)

He answered, “No.”

22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness,(N) ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”[c](O)

24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

26 “I baptize with[d] water,”(P) John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me,(Q) the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”(R)

28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan,(S) where John was baptizing.

John Testifies About Jesus

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God,(T) who takes away the sin of the world!(U) 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’(V) 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.(W) 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water(X) told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’(Y) 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”[e](Z)

John’s Disciples Follow Jesus(AA)

35 The next day John(AB) was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”(AC)

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Footnotes

  1. John 1:18 Some manuscripts but the only Son, who
  2. John 1:19 The Greek term traditionally translated the Jews (hoi Ioudaioi) refers here and elsewhere in John’s Gospel to those Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus; also in 5:10, 15, 16; 7:1, 11, 13; 9:22; 18:14, 28, 36; 19:7, 12, 31, 38; 20:19.
  3. John 1:23 Isaiah 40:3
  4. John 1:26 Or in; also in verses 31 and 33 (twice)
  5. John 1:34 See Isaiah 42:1; many manuscripts is the Son of God.

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