The Messiah's Herald
1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, 14-37 while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
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during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, God's word came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
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He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
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as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight!
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Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low; the crooked will become straight, the rough ways smooth,
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and everyone will see the salvation of God."
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He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?