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

John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;

I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:

And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.

For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.

But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.

And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.

Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.

Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.

They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.

I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.

O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.

Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.

For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.

But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.

Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.

And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.

Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.

They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.

Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.

Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.

But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.

This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.

For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.

For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.

Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.

Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.

And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.

And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.