For he shall be great before the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, while still in his mother's womb.

And the Child was growing and becoming strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

And the woman brought forth a son, and she called his name Sampson; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him.

And the Spirit of the Lord began to go out with him in the camp of Dan, and between Zorah and Esthaol.

And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and there did not fall one of his words to the ground.

And all Israel knew, from Dan even to Beersheba, that Samuel was faithful as a prophet to the Lord.

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

Now as these men were going, Jesus began to say to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

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

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

"I did not know Him; but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."