Luke 3:4

The voice of one who calls out, “Prepare the way of Yahweh in the wilderness! Make a level highway in the desert for our God.

They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, he baptizes, and everyone is coming to him.”

The Lord Yahweh says, “Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and lift up my banner to the peoples. They shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.

And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,

Paul said, “John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.”

It will happen in that day that the nations will seek the root of Jesse, who stands as a banner of the peoples; and his resting place will be glorious.

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, he comes!” says Yahweh of Armies.

You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’

When they had called to the king, Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder came out to them.

The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

but he will judge the poor with righteousness, and decide with equity for the humble of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.

“I will set a sign among them, and I will send those who escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to far-away islands, who have not heard my fame, nor have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.

For this is he, of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’

Jesus answered them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and will restore all things,

He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare a people prepared for the Lord.”

But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name:

This is John’s testimony, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

I sent you to reap that for which you haven’t labored. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

Therefore let’s not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother’s way, or an occasion for falling.

Therefore if food causes my brother to stumble, I will eat no meat forever more, that I don’t cause my brother to stumble.

and make straight paths for your feet, so what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

Moses built an altar, and called its name “Yahweh our Banner”.

When they saw that there was much money in the chest, the king’s scribe and the high priest came up, and they put it in bags and counted the money that was found in Yahweh’s house.

This is what Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

He will set up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

All you inhabitants of the world, and you dwellers on the earth, when a banner is lifted up on the mountains, look! When the trumpet is blown, listen!

The Lord, Yahweh of Armies says, “Go, get yourself to this treasurer, even to Shebna, who is over the house, and say,

Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter: the one which keeps faith.

A highway will be there, a road, and it will be called “The Holy Way”. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it will be for those who walk in the Way. Wicked fools shall not go there.

I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be exalted.

You will leave your name for a curse to my chosen; and the Lord Yahweh will kill you. He will call his servants by another name,

Set up a standard toward Zion. Flee for safety! Don’t wait; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.”

For my people have forgotten me. They have burned incense to false gods. They have been made to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in byways, in a way not built up,

Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the surface of the whole land; for everyone who steals shall be cut off according to it on the one side; and everyone who swears falsely shall be cut off according to it on the other side.

Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the wedding feast.’

He said to them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and restores all things. How is it written about the Son of Man, that he should suffer many things and be despised?

The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.

John testified about him. He cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.’ ”

He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

I didn’t know him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water: that he would be revealed to Israel.”

John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him.

and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink!

and to make all men see what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ,

who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, when the tender grass springs out of the earth, through clear shining after rain.’

He sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.

I have taken your testimonies as a heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.

Doesn’t wisdom cry out? Doesn’t understanding raise her voice?

There will be a highway for the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, like there was for Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell therein are found guilty. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left.

Leave Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! With a voice of singing announce this, tell it even to the end of the earth: say, “Yahweh has redeemed his servant Jacob!”

Depart! Depart! Go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Go out from among her! Cleanse yourselves, you who carry Yahweh’s vessels.

Who has believed our message? To whom has Yahweh’s arm been revealed?

He will say, “Build up, build up, prepare the way! Remove the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.”

Your gates also shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night, that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, and their kings led captive.

to proclaim the year of Yahweh’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,

Go through, go through the gates! Prepare the way of the people! Build up, build up the highway! Gather out the stones! Lift up a banner for the peoples.

They will come with weeping. I will lead them with petitions. I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they won’t stumble; for I am a father to Israel. Ephraim is my firstborn.

Yes, all Israel have transgressed your law, turning aside, that they should not obey your voice. “Therefore the curse and the oath written in the law of Moses the servant of God has been poured out on us; for we have sinned against him.

He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make the way of the Lord ready! Make his paths straight!”

the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!’ ”

They went out and preached that people should repent.

Peter, remembering, said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away.”

The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him.

If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

He was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.

This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John.

Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.

Out of his mouth proceeds a sharp, double-edged sword, that with it he should strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He treads the wine press of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty.

There will be no curse any more. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will serve him.