Matthew 3:1-6

1 While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called "the Baptizer," was preaching in the desert country of Judea.

2 His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here."

3 John and his message were authorized by Isaiah's prophecy: Thunder in the desert! Prepare for God's arrival! Make the road smooth and straight!

4 John dressed in a camel-hair habit tied at the waist by a leather strap. He lived on a diet of locusts and wild field honey.

5 People poured out of Jerusalem, Judea, and the Jordanian countryside to hear and see him in action.

6 There at the Jordan River those who came to confess their sins were baptized into a changed life.