The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Parallel translations
- WEB the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!’”
- BSB “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
- NKJV “Thevoice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”
- NASB The voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!’ ”
- NLT He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A herald in the wilderness calls people to make ready for the Lord's coming. John is that voice, and Jesus is the Lord whose path is being prepared.
Overview
Quoting Isaiah 40:3, Mark presents John as the announced 'voice' summoning Israel to repentance. In Isaiah this is preparation for the LORD's return to His people; Mark applies it to Jesus, again pointing to His deity. Straightening the paths pictures the moral and spiritual readiness God requires when His King draws near.
Cross-references & the web
Quotation
- Isa 40:3The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Cross-references · 6
- Isa 40:3–5The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
- Matt 3:3For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
- Luke 3:4–6As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
- John 3:28–36Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
- John 1:19–34And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
- John 1:15John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 1:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.