Verse 1

At that time, John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

Other Translations

Referenced Verses

  • Isa 40:3-6 : 3 A voice of one calling: In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all humanity together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. 6 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.
  • Josh 14:10 : 10 Now here I am, the LORD has kept me alive, as He promised, these forty-five years since the time the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel journeyed in the wilderness. And now, here I am today, eighty-five years old.
  • John 1:6-8 : 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
  • Matt 16:14 : 14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
  • Matt 11:11 : 11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
  • Judg 1:16 : 16 The descendants of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the City of Palms to the wilderness of Judah in the Negev near Arad. They went and lived among the people there.
  • Matt 14:2-9 : 2 And he said to his servants, 'This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.' 3 For Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. 4 For John had been telling him, 'It is not lawful for you to have her.' 5 Though Herod wanted to kill him, he feared the crowd because they considered John to be a prophet. 6 But on Herod's birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and it pleased Herod. 7 Therefore, he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, 'Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.' 9 The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his guests, he ordered it to be given to her. 10 So he sent orders and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 Then John's disciples came, took the body, buried it, and went and told Jesus. 13 When Jesus heard about this, He withdrew from there by boat to a solitary place. Yet the crowds, hearing of this, followed Him on foot from the towns. 14 When He stepped ashore and saw the great crowd, He was moved with compassion for them and healed their sick.
  • Matt 17:12-13 : 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him. Instead, they did to him whatever they pleased. In the same way, the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands.' 13 Then the disciples understood that He was speaking to them about John the Baptist.
  • Matt 21:25-27 : 25 Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from men?' They discussed it among themselves, saying, 'If we say, 26 But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the crowd, because everyone considers John to be a prophet. 27 So they answered Jesus, 'We do not know.' Then he said to them, 'Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.'
  • Matt 21:32 : 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him. And even when you saw it, you did not later change your minds and believe him.
  • Mark 1:3-8 : 3 'A voice is calling out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight.' 4 John appeared in the wilderness, baptizing and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem came out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 John was dressed in camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed: 'After me comes one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.' 8 'I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.'
  • Mark 1:15 : 15 He said: 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the gospel!'
  • Mark 6:16-29 : 16 But when Herod heard this, he said, 'John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead.' 17 For Herod himself had sent men to arrest John, and he had him bound and put in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married. 18 John had been telling Herod, 'It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.' 19 So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him, but she was unable to do so. 20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard John speak, he was greatly perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. 21 Finally, the opportune time came. On his birthday, Herod gave a banquet for his high officials, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee. 22 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 whatever you want, and I will give it to you.' 23 And he promised her with an oath, 'Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.' 24 She went out and asked her mother, 'What should I ask for?' Her mother answered, 'The head of John the Baptist.' 25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with her request. 'I want you to give me, right now, the head of John the Baptist on a platter,' she said. 26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 brought back his head on a platter, and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother. 29 When John's disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
  • Luke 1:13-17 : 13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. 16 He will turn many of the children of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord.
  • Luke 1:76 : 76 And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways,
  • Luke 3:1-9 : 1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'" 5 Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low; the crooked paths will become straight, and the rough ways will be made smooth, 6 and all humanity will see God's salvation. 7 John said to the crowds coming to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?" 8 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 God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 9 The axe is already laid at the root of the trees, so every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 10 The crowds were asking him, "What, then, should we do?" 11 He replied to them, "Anyone who has two tunics must share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food must do the same." 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" 13 He told them, "Do not collect anything more than what is required." 14 Then some soldiers also questioned him, saying, "And what should we do?" He replied to them, "Do not extort money from anyone or accuse anyone falsely; be content with your wages." 15 As the people were waiting expectantly and all were pondering in their hearts about John, whether he might be the Christ, 16 John answered them all by saying, "I baptize you with water, but one who is mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to thoroughly clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." 18 And in many other ways, with various exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by John about Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, and for all the evil things he had done, 20 added to these things by imprisoning John in prison as well.
  • Luke 7:24 : 24 After John's messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: 'What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?'
  • John 1:15-36 : 15 John testified about Him and 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.”' 16 From His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the one and only Son, who is in the closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known. 19 This is the testimony of John when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, 'Who are you?' 20 He confessed and did not deny, but confessed, 'I am not the Christ.' 21 They asked him, 'Then who are you? Are you Elijah?' He said, 'I am not.' 'Are you the Prophet?' He answered, 'No.' 22 So they said to him, 'Who are you? Tell us so we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?' 23 He replied, 'I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, “Make straight the way for the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said.' 24 Now those who had been sent were from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, 'Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?' 26 John answered them, saying, 'I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know.' 27 He is the one who comes after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie. 28 This all happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!' 30 This is the one I was talking about when I said, “A man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.” 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 testified, saying, 'I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him.' 33 I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34 I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God. 35 The next day John was standing there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, 'Look, the Lamb of God!'
  • John 3:27-36 : 27 John replied, 'No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven.' 28 'You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent ahead of Him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly at the sound of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony. 33 Whoever accepts His testimony certifies that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hands. 36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. But the one who disobeys the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.
  • Acts 1:22 : 22 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.”
  • Acts 13:24-25 : 24 Before His coming, John had already proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 As John was finishing his course, he said, 'Who do you think I am? I am not He. But behold, One is coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.'
  • Acts 19:3-4 : 3 Paul then asked, "Into what, then, were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's baptism." 4 Paul said, "John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him—that is, in Jesus."
  • Josh 15:61-62 : 61 In the wilderness: Beth-arabah, Middin, and Secacah. 62 Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi—six cities with their villages.
  • Matt 3:8 : 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
  • Matt 11:7 : 7 As they were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?