John 1:31

¹“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me! The Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple. Behold, the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, is coming!” says the LORD of Armies.

¹⁷He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare a people prepared for the Lord.”

³the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!’”

⁴John came baptizing^[+] in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. ⁵All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.

²But to you who fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings. You will go out and leap like calves of the stall. ³You shall tread down the wicked; for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I make,” says the LORD of Armies.

⁴“Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded to him in Horeb for all Israel, even statutes and ordinances.

⁵Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.

³He came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for remission of sins. ⁴As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight.

⁷The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him.

³The voice of one who calls out, “Prepare the way of the LORD in the wilderness! Make a level highway in the desert for our God. ⁴Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain. ⁵The LORD’s glory shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it.”

³³I didn’t recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘On whomever you will see the Spirit descending and remaining on him is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’

⁶They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷⁶And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, ⁷⁷to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins, ⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the dawn from on high will visit us, ⁷⁹to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

⁸⁰The child was growing and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.