那时，有施洗的约翰出来，在犹太的旷野传道，说：

在那些日子，施洗的约翰出来，在犹太的旷野宣讲：

在那些日子，施洗的约翰出来，在犹太的旷野宣讲：

那时，施洗者约翰来到犹太的旷野传道，说：

那时，施洗的约翰出来，在犹太的旷野传道，

在那些日子里，施洗者约翰来了，在犹太的旷野传道，

那時，有施洗的約翰出來，在猶太的曠野傳道，說：

在那些日子，施洗的約翰出來，在猶太的曠野宣講：

在那些日子，施洗的約翰出來，在猶太的曠野宣講：

那時，施洗者約翰來到猶太的曠野傳道，說：

那時，施洗的約翰出來，在猶太的曠野傳道，

當那些日子、施洗者約翰出來，在猶太的野地宣傳

在那些日子裡，施洗者約翰來了，在猶太的曠野傳道，

維時、施洗約翰至、宣言於猶太野、

維時、施洗約翰至猶太野、言曰、

維時有施洗約翰來、在猶太曠野宣道曰、

維時、施洗者如望宣道於猶太曠野中曰：

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

In those days John the Baptist came and preached in the Desert of Judea.

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

In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was,

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

Now in those days John the Baptist* came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,

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

And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judæa, saying,

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Wilderness of Judea

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

In those days John the Baptist came into the wilderness of Judea proclaiming,

In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,

A voice of one calling:“ In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”A voice says,“ Cry out.” And I said,“ What shall I cry?”“ All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. (niv)

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. (niv)

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

But the angel said to him:“ Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous— to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (niv)

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

Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel.As John was completing his work, he said:‘ Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for. But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’ (niv)

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, (niv)

beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” (niv)

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar— when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene—during the high- priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.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.’”John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him,“ You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves,‘ We have Abraham as our father.’ 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.”“ What should we do then?” the crowd asked.John answered,“ Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”Even tax collectors came to be baptized.“ Teacher,” they asked,“ what should we do?”“ Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.Then some soldiers asked him,“ And what should we do?” He replied,“ Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely— be content with your pay.”The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah.John answered them all,“ I baptize you with water. 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 the Holy Spirit and fire.His winnowing fork 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.”And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done,Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison. (niv)

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? (niv)

So Paul asked,“ Then what baptism did you receive?”“ John’s baptism,” they replied.Paul said,“ John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” (niv)

“ a voice of one calling in the wilderness,‘ Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.And this was his message:“ After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (niv)

In the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin, Sekakah,Nibshan, the City of Salt and En Gedi— six towns and their villages. (niv)

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. (niv)

and he said to his attendants,“ This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,for John had been saying to him:“ It is not lawful for you to have her.”Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so muchthat he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked.Prompted by her mother, she said,“ Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be grantedand had John beheaded in the prison.His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother.John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. (niv)

But when Herod heard this, he said,“ John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married.For John had been saying to Herod,“ It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to,because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl,“ Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.”And he promised her with an oath,“ Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”She went out and said to her mother,“ What shall I ask for?”“ The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request:“ I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her.So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison,and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother.On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. (niv)

( John testified 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.’”)Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely,“ I am not the Messiah.”They asked him,“ Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said,“ I am not.”“ Are you the Prophet?” He answered,“ No.”Finally they said,“ Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet,“ I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness,‘ Make straight the way for the Lord.’”Now the Pharisees who had been sentquestioned him,“ Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”“ I baptize with water,” John replied,“ but among you stands one you do not know.He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said,“ Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!This is the one I meant when I said,‘ A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”Then John gave this testimony:“ I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me,‘ The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.When he saw Jesus passing by, he said,“ Look, the Lamb of God!” (niv)

But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist. (niv)

To this John replied,“ A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.You yourselves can testify that I said,‘ I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’The bride belongs to the bridegroom. 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.He must become greater; I must become less.”The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful.For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. (niv)

John’s baptism— where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” They discussed it among themselves and said,“ If we say,‘ From heaven,’ he will ask,‘ Then why didn’t you believe him?’But if we say,‘ Of human origin’— we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”So they answered Jesus,“ We don’t know.” Then he said,“ Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. (niv)

“ Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! (niv)

The descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up from the City of Palms with the people of Judah to live among the inhabitants of the Desert of Judah in the Negev near Arad. (niv)

For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. (niv)

As John’s disciples were leaving, 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? (niv)

“ The time has come,” he said.“ The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (niv)