Mark 1:1–13
John the Baptist Begins His Ministry
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.a 2 Just as it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
“Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
3 the voice of one shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths!’ ”b
4 John was there baptizing in the wilderness, proclaimingc a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the Judean region and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem went out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 And John was dressed in camel’s hair and a belt made of leather around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he was preaching, saying, “One who is more powerful than I is coming after me, of whom I am not worthy to bend down and* untie the strap of his sandals. 8 I baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9 And it happened that in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. 10 And immediately as he* was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens being split apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
12 And immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.