¹⁶ And through him great numbers of the children of Israel will be turned to the Lord their God.

³ A voice of one crying, Make ready in the waste land the way of the Lord, make level in the lowland a highway for our God.

⁴ Let every valley be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low, and let the rough places become level, and the hilltops become a valley,

⁵ And the glory of the Lord will be made clear, and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has said it.

⁶ It is not enough for one who is my servant to put the tribes of Jacob again in their place, and to get back those of Israel who have been sent away: my purpose is to give you as a light to the nations, so that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.

³ And those who are wise will be shining like the light of the outstretched sky; and those by whom numbers have been turned to righteousness will be like the stars for ever and ever.

¹ See, I am sending my servant, and he will make ready the way before me; and the Lord, whom you are looking for, will suddenly come to his Temple; and the angel of the agreement, in whom you have delight, see, he is coming, says the Lord of armies.

¹ And in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the waste land of Judaea,

² Saying, Let your hearts be turned from sin; for the kingdom of heaven is near.

³ For this is he of whom Isaiah the prophet said, The voice of one crying in the waste land, Make ready the way of the Lord, make his roads straight.

⁴ Now John was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather band about him; and his food was locusts and honey.

⁵ Then Jerusalem and all Judaea went out to him, and all the people from near Jordan;

⁶ And they were given baptism by him in the river Jordan, saying openly that they had done wrong.

³² For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you had no faith in him, but the tax-farmers and the loose women had faith in him: and you, when you saw it, did not even have regret for your sins, so as to have faith in him.

⁷⁶ And you, child, will be named the prophet of the Most High: you will go before the face of the Lord, to make ready his ways;