Long ago Isaiah the prophet wrote,“ I will send my messenger ahead of you. He will prepare your way.”( Malachi 3:1)

正如先知以赛亚书上记着说：“看哪，我要差遣我的使者在你前面，预备道路。

正如以赛亚先知书上记着：“看哪，我要差遣我的使者在你面前，他要为你预备道路。

正如以赛亚先知书上记着：“看哪，我要差遣我的使者在你面前，他要为你预备道路。

以赛亚先知书上说：“看啊，我要差遣我的使者在你前面为你预备道路。

正如以赛亚先知的书上写着：“看哪，我差遣我的使者在你面前，预备你的道路；

正如先知以赛亚书上所记载的：“看哪，我要差派我的使者在你前头，他要预备你的道。

正如先知以賽亞書上記着說：看哪，我要差遣我的使者在你前面，預備道路。

正如以賽亞先知書上記着：「看哪，我要差遣我的使者在你面前，他要為你預備道路。

正如以賽亞先知書上記着：「看哪，我要差遣我的使者在你面前，他要為你預備道路。

以賽亞先知書上說：「看啊，我要差遣我的使者在你前面為你預備道路。

正如以賽亞先知的書上寫著：“看哪，我差遣我的使者在你面前，預備你的道路；

神言人以賽亞書上記着說：『看哪，我差遣我的使者在你前面，他要準備你的道路。

正如先知以賽亞書上所記載的：「看哪，我要差派我的使者在你前頭，他要預備你的道。

如先知以賽亞所載云、我遣我使在爾前、以修爾路、

先知載曰、我遣我使、在爾前、備爾道、

如載於先知書有原文抄本作載於先知以賽亞書云、我遣我使在爾前、以備爾道、

正如意灑雅先知書之所記云：『吾遣使者、以先啟行；為爾前驅、備爾行程。』

as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:“ I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”—

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,“ Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way,

just as the prophet Isaiah had written:“ Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way.

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way.

just as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:“ Behold, I am sending My messenger before You, Who will prepare Your way;

As it is written in the Prophets:“ Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.”

Even as it is written in Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way;

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Look, I am sending My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way.

As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,“ Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way,

As it is written in the prophets,“ Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you:

The Lord who rules over all says,“ I will send my messenger. He will prepare my way for me. Then suddenly the Lord you are looking for will come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant will come. He is the one you long for.”

He is the one written about in Scripture. It says,“‘ I will send my messenger ahead of you. He will prepare your way for you.’( Malachi 3:1)

“ And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God. You will go ahead of the Lord to prepare the way for him.

He will be important in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or other such drinks. 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 prepare the way for the Lord. He will have the same spirit and power that Elijah had. He will bring peace between parents and their children. He will teach people who don’t obey to be wise and do what is right. In this way, he will prepare a people who are ready for the Lord.”

Jesus took the 12 disciples to one side. He told them,“ We are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that the prophets wrote about the Son of Man will come true.

Jesus told them,“ This very night you will all turn away because of me. It is written that the Lord said,“‘ I will strike the shepherd down. Then the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’( Zechariah 13:7)

In those days John the Baptist came and preached in the Desert of Judea.He said,“ Turn away from your sins! The kingdom of heaven has come near.”John is the one Isaiah the prophet had spoken about. He had said,“ A messenger is calling out in the desert,‘ Prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight paths for him.’ ”( Isaiah 40:3)John’s clothes were made out of camel’s hair. He had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea. They also came from the whole area around the Jordan River.When they confessed their sins, John baptized them in the Jordan.John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing. He said to them,“ You are like a nest of poisonous snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming of God’s anger?Live in a way that shows you have turned away from your sins.Don’t think you can say to yourselves,‘ Abraham is our father.’ I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham even from these stones.The ax is ready to cut the roots of the trees. All the trees that don’t produce good fruit will be cut down. They will be thrown into the fire.“ I baptize you with water, calling you to turn away from your sins. But after me, someone is coming who is more powerful than I am. I’m not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Annas and Caiaphas were high priests. At that time God’s word came to John, son of Zechariah, in the desert.He went into all the countryside around the Jordan River. There he preached that people should be baptized and turn away from their sins. Then God would forgive them.Here is what is written in the book of Isaiah the prophet. It says,“ A messenger is calling out in the desert,‘ Prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight paths for him.Every valley will be filled in. Every mountain and hill will be made level. The crooked roads will become straight. The rough ways will become smooth.And all people will see God’s salvation.’ ”( Isaiah 40:3–5)John spoke to the crowds coming to be baptized by him. He said,“ You are like a nest of poisonous snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming of God’s anger?Live in a way that shows you have turned away from your sins. And don’t start saying to yourselves,‘ Abraham is our father.’ I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham even from these stones.The ax is already lying at the roots of the trees. All the trees that don’t produce good fruit will be cut down. They will be thrown into the fire.”“ Then what should we do?” the crowd asked.John answered,“ Anyone who has extra clothes should share with the one who has none. And anyone who has extra 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,” John told them.Then some soldiers asked him,“ And what should we do?” John replied,“ Don’t force people to give you money. Don’t bring false charges against people. Be happy with your pay.”The people were waiting. They were expecting something. They were all wondering in their hearts if John might be the Messiah.John answered them all,“ I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I am will come. I’m not good enough to untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Then I said,“ Here I am. It is written about me in the book.

Long ago holy prophets said he would do it.

He is the one written about in Scripture. It says,“‘ I will send my messenger ahead of you. He will prepare your way for you.’( Malachi 3:1)I tell you, no one more important than John has ever been born. But the least important person in God’s kingdom is more important than John is.”

“ In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied.“ This is what the prophet has written. He said,

The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But how terrible it will be for the one who hands over the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”