Matthew 3:1-3

Contemporary English Version

The Preaching of John the Baptist

(Mark 1.1-8; Luke 3.1-18; John 1.19-28)

3 Years later, John the Baptist started preaching in the desert of Judea. ²^(A) He said, “Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven^[a] will soon be here.”^[b]

³^(B) John was the one the prophet Isaiah was talking about, when he said,

“In the desert someone
    is shouting,
‘Get the road ready
    for the Lord!
Make a straight path
    for him.’ ”

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Footnotes

3.2 kingdom of heaven: In the Gospel of Matthew “kingdom of heaven” is used with the same meaning as “God's kingdom” in Mark and Luke.
3.2 will soon be here: Or “is already here.”