Matthew 14:5

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.”

“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.

Behold, you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they don’t do them.

But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man has come.

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John.

None of the rest dared to join them, however the people honored them.

Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these words, they were very perplexed about them and what might become of this.

Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.

Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the prison; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.

Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways. As a nation that did righteousness, and didn’t forsake the ordinance of their God, they ask of me righteous judgments. They delight to draw near to God.

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

When Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Uriah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt.

The king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet; but Yahweh hid them.

Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘You and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and with your hands have fulfilled it, saying, “We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of the sky, and to pour out drink offerings to her.” “ ‘Establish then your vows, and perform your vows.’

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!”

But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’

What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it;

The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?” They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.”

When they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes, because they considered him to be a prophet.

So when Pilate saw that nothing was being gained, but rather that a disturbance was starting, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person. You see to it.”

As it is written in the prophets, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you:

These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.

for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. When he heard him, he did many things, and he heard him gladly.

If we should say, ‘From men’ ”—they feared the people, for all held John to really be a prophet.

The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God.

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,

But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.

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

Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation.

The chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him that very hour, but they feared the people—for they knew he had spoken this parable against them.

The chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put him to death, for they feared the people.

Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and elders, who had come against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?

He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

All the people saw him walking and praising God.

As they spoke to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came to them,

Following Paul and us, she cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation!”

For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

God do so to the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that belongs to him by the morning light so much as one who urinates on a wall.”

Now Elisha became sick with the illness of which he died; and Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over him, and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”

Don’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few.

All the princes and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant, that everyone should let his male servant, and everyone his female servant go free, that no one should make bondservants of them any more. They obeyed and let them go;

then Zedekiah the king sent, and had him brought out. The king asked him secretly in his house, “Is there any word from Yahweh?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” He also said, “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”

Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it?

Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.

At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus,

The king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths, and of those who sat at the table with him, he commanded it to be given,

but I tell you that Elijah has come already, and they didn’t recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted to. Even so the Son of Man will also suffer by them.”

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.

But they said, “Not during the feast, lest a riot occur among the people.”

They tried to seize him, but they feared the multitude; for they perceived that he spoke the parable against them. They left him, and went away.

Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’

He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?

He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I complete my mission.

The law and the prophets were until John. From that time the Good News of God’s Kingdom is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”

If I hadn’t done among them the works which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now they have seen and also hated both me and my Father.

When they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people; for everyone glorified God for that which was done.

Then the captain went with the officers, and brought them without violence, for they were afraid that the people might stone them.

The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,

Let as many as are bondservants under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and the doctrine not be blasphemed.

in gentleness correcting those who oppose him: perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth,

Therefore leaving the teaching of the first principles of Christ, let’s press on to perfection—not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God,