Mark 1:1-8

New King James Version

John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)

1 The ^(B)beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, ^(C)the Son of God. ²As it is written in ^[a]the Prophets:

^(D)“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.”
³“The^(E) voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”

⁴^(F)John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance ^[b]for the remission of sins. ⁵^(G)Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

⁶Now John was ^(H)clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷And he preached, saying, ^(I)“There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. ⁸^(J)I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you ^(K)with the Holy Spirit.”