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Matthew 3:1-6

John the Baptist prepares a way for Jesus

1 While Jesus still lived in Nazareth, a man called John the Baptist was speaking a message from God. He was doing this in the wilderness in Judea. 2 He told people, ‘You have done many wrong things. You must turn away from them and change how you live. Do this now, because the kingdom of heaven has come very near.’

3:1Judea was part of Israel.

3 God's prophet Isaiah spoke about this man John long ago. He said:

‘Somebody's voice is shouting in the wilderness,

“The Lord will come soon, so prepare a way for him to follow.

Make the paths straight for him.” ’

3:3See Isaiah 40:3. Isaiah was telling people about a man called John. John told the people to get ready for Jesus to come. People mend roads before a king travels along them. Isaiah used this as a picture. It helped the people to understand how to prepare themselves for Jesus.

4 John wore clothes made from the hair of a camel. He also wore a belt made from leather. His usual food was locusts and honey from the wilderness.

3:4A camel is a large animal that lives in the wilderness. It can carry heavy things on its back like a horse. The insects that John ate were called locusts. An insect called a bee makes honey. It is sweet like sugar.

5 Many people went to listen to John. They lived in Jerusalem and all over the country called Judea and many other places near the Jordan River. 6 The people told God about all the wrong things that they had done. Then John baptized them in the Jordan River.

3:6John baptized people who wanted to stop doing wrong things. These people told God that they were sorry. They were sorry about the wrong things that they had done. God then forgave them.