For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty.

And, behold, I will send to you Elijah the Tishbite, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes;

For this is he about whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'

"Assuredly I say to you, among [those] born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You."

"A voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'"

"And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,

But what have you gone out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and much more than a prophet.

"For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater [than] he."

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

This [man] came for a testimony, so that he might testify concerning the Light, so that all through him might believe.

The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God.

And the glory of the Lord shall appear, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God; for the Lord has spoken [it].

In those days John the Baptist arrived preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "A voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'"

And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they desired. Thus also the Son of Man is about to suffer by them."

And he will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.

And he himself will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

And he went into all the surrounding region of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,

Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be humbled; the crooked roads shall become straight, and the rough [roads] shall become smooth;

John testified concerning Him and has cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me, has come to be before me, because He was before me.'"

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came to be through Jesus Christ.

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem so that they might ask him, "Who are you?"

And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No."

He said: "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the LORD," ' just as Isaiah the prophet said."

You yourselves bear witness that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'

He must increase, but I must decrease.

after John had first proclaimed before His coming, the baptism of repentance to Israel.

Now as John was finishing his course, he said, 'Whom do you suppose me to be? I am not He. But behold, there comes One after me, the sandal of whose feet I am not worthy to loosen.'

But Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Christ Jesus."

A Psalm of David. The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.

Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring forth a son, and you shall call His name Emmanuel.

For a Child is born to us, and a Son is given to us, whose government is upon His shoulder; and His name is called the Messenger of great counsel; for I will bring peace upon the princes, and health to Him.

[ 2:8] and I will shake all nations, and the choice [portions] of all the nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty.

[ 2:10] For the glory of this house shall be great, the latter more than the former, says the Lord Almighty: and in this place will I give peace, says the Lord Almighty, even peace of soul for a possession to everyone that builds, to raise up this temple.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

And when eight days were completed, so they could circumcise Him, His name was called JESUS, the [name] given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

(just as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD"),

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, that they might do for Him according to the custom of the law,

"Lord, now You are releasing Your servant in peace, according to Your word;

which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,

And summoning two if his disciples, John sent [them] to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming [One], or do we look for another?"

And when they came to Him, the men said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming [One], or do we look for another?'"

And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people were seeking to destroy Him,

And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers sitting there.

And He said to those selling the doves, "Take these things [away] from here! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"

And he blessed them and said, The God in whose sight my fathers were well pleasing, [even] Abraham and Isaac, the God who continues to feed me from my youth until this day;

the angel who delivers me from all evils, bless these boys, and my name shall be called upon them, and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac; and let them be increased to a great multitude on the earth.

And behold, I send My angel before your face, that He may keep you in the way, that He may bring you into the land which I have prepared for you.

out of all their affliction; not an ambassador, nor a messenger, but [He H]imself saved them, because He loved them and spared them; He Himself redeemed them, and took them up, and lifted them up all the days of old.

He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and in his labors he had power with God.

But the Lord God Almighty shall be his memorial.

This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and [with] our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us,

[ 2:8] and I will shake all nations, and the choice [portions] of all the nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty.