1
At that time John the Baptist came to the desert of Judea and started preaching.
2
"Turn away from your sins," he said, "because the Kingdom of heaven is near!" 1
3
John was the man the prophet Isaiah was talking about when he said, 2 "Someone is shouting in the desert, "Prepare a road for the Lord; make a straight path for him to travel!' "
4
John's clothes were made of camel's hair; he wore a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 3
5
People came to him from Jerusalem, from the whole province of Judea, and from all over the country near the Jordan River.
6
They confessed their sins, and he baptized them in the Jordan.
7
When John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to him to be baptized, he said to them, "You snakes - who told you that you could escape from the punishment God is about to send? 4