Mt 3:1-6

The Preaching of John the Baptist.^{* a} 1In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea^* 2[and] saying, “Repent,^* for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”^b 3^* It was of him that the prophet Isaiah^c had spoken when he said:

“A voice of one crying out in the desert,

‘Prepare the way of the Lord,

make straight his paths.’”

4^{* d} John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him 6and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.^*