AUV(i)
1 In those days, John the Immerser went into the desert of Judea preaching [to Jews], saying,
2 “You must repent [i.e., change your hearts and lives], for the kingdom of heaven will soon be here.”
3 For this is the man who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, who said, [Isa. 40:3], “[It is] the voice of a man who speaks out in the desert, [urging people to] make the road for the Lord ready [for Him to travel]; to make a straight pathway for Him [to walk on].”
4 Now John dressed in clothing made of camel’s hair and he wore a leather belt around his waist; he ate grasshoppers and wild honey [i.e., for his regular diet].
5 [People from] Jerusalem and all over Judea and the region around the Jordan River all went out [to the desert] to [hear] him,
6 and people were immersed by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.