John the Baptist prepares the way

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

‘A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
“Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.”’[a]

John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt round his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptised by him in the River Jordan.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 3:3 Isaiah 40:3

Jesus begins to preach

12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali – 14 to fulfil what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

15 ‘Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
    the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
    Galilee of the Gentiles –
16 the people living in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
    a light has dawned.’[a]

17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 4:16 Isaiah 9:1,2