Mark 1:1-8

New International Version

John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,^[a] the Son of God,^[b]^(B) ²as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way”^[c]^(C)—
³“a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”^[d]^(D)

⁴And so John the Baptist^(E) appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance^(F) for the forgiveness of sins.^(G) ⁵The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. ⁶John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist,^(H) and he ate locusts^(I) and wild honey. ⁷And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.^(J) ⁸I baptize you with^[e] water, but he will baptize you with^[f] the Holy Spirit.”^(K)

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Footnotes

Mark 1:1 Or Jesus Christ. Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) both mean Anointed One.
Mark 1:1 Some manuscripts do not have the Son of God.
Mark 1:2 Mal. 3:1
Mark 1:3 Isaiah 40:3
Mark 1:8 Or in
Mark 1:8 Or in

Luke 1:57-80

New International Version

The Birth of John the Baptist

⁵⁷When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

⁵⁹On the eighth day they came to circumcise^(A) the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, ⁶⁰but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”^(B)

⁶¹They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

⁶²Then they made signs^(C) to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. ⁶³He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”^(D) ⁶⁴Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak,^(E) praising God. ⁶⁵All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea^(F) people were talking about all these things. ⁶⁶Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.^(G)

Zechariah’s Song

⁶⁷His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit^(H) and prophesied:^(I)

⁶⁸“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,^(J)
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.^(K)
⁶⁹He has raised up a horn^[a]^(L) of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David^(M)
⁷⁰(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),^(N)
⁷¹salvation from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us—
⁷²to show mercy to our ancestors^(O)
    and to remember his holy covenant,^(P)
⁷³    the oath he swore to our father Abraham:^(Q)
⁷⁴to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him^(R) without fear^(S)
⁷⁵    in holiness and righteousness^(T) before him all our days.

⁷⁶And you, my child, will be called a prophet^(U) of the Most High;^(V)
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,^(W)
⁷⁷to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,^(X)
⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun^(Y) will come to us from heaven
⁷⁹to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,^(Z)
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”^(AA)

⁸⁰And the child grew and became strong in spirit^[b];^(AB) and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

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Footnotes

Luke 1:69 Horn here symbolizes a strong king.
Luke 1:80 Or in the Spirit

Acts 2:17-20

New International Version

¹⁷“‘In the last days, God says,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.^(A)
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,^(B)
    your young men will see visions,
    your old men will dream dreams.
¹⁸Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
    and they will prophesy.^(C)
¹⁹I will show wonders in the heavens above
    and signs on the earth below,^(D)
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
²⁰The sun will be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood^(E)
    before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.