MARK 1:3 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT a voice of one calling out in the wilderness,
⇔  ‘Make ready the way of the Lord;
⇔  make his paths straight.’ ”

UST In the desolate place, someone will be calling out to the people:
⇔  ‘Prepare yourselves to receive the Lord!
⇔  Make yourselves ready for when he comes!’ ”

BLB "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.'"

AICNT “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’ ”[fn]

1:3, Isaiah 40:3 LXX

OEB The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness:
⇔ ‘Prepare the road for the Lord,
⇔ make a straight path for him.’ ”

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

WMBB (Same as above)

MSG ^(1-3)The good news of Jesus Christ—the Message!—begins here, following to the letter the scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
Watch closely: I’m sending my preacher ahead of you;
He’ll make the road smooth for you.
Thunder in the desert!
Prepare for God’s arrival!
Make the road smooth and straight!

NET the voice of one shouting in the wilderness,
⇔ ‘ Prepare the way for the Lord,
⇔  make his paths straight.’ ”

LSV A voice of one calling in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD,
Make His paths straight.”

FBV A voice is calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the Lord's way! Make his paths straight.’ ”[fn]

1:3 See Malachi 3:1and Isaiah 40:3.

TCNT the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
⇔ ‘Prepare the way for the Lord;
⇔ make his paths straight,’ ”

T4T He will call out to people who pass by where he is in the desolate area, “As people improve and straighten out pathways before an important official arrives [MET], make yourselves ready [DOU] in order that you will be prepared when the Lord comes.”

LEB • the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
• make straight his paths!’ ”[fn]

1:2 A quotation from Isa 40:3|link-href="None"

BBE The voice of one crying in the waste land, Make ready the way of the Lord, make his roads straight;

Moff the voice of one who cries in the desert,
⇔ "Make the way ready for the Lord,
⇔ level the paths for him"--

Wymth "The voice of one crying aloud: `In the Desert prepare a road for the Lord: Make His highways straight.'"

ASV The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
⇔ Make ye ready the way of the Lord,
⇔ Make his paths straight;

DRA A voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.

YLT 'A voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, straight make ye his paths,' —

Drby Voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of [the] Lord, make his paths straight.

RV The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight;
(The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye/you_all ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight; )

SLT A voice of him crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make his beaten paths straight.

Wbstr The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

KJB-1769 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
(The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye/you_all the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. )

KJB-1611 The voice of one crying in the wildernesse, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps A voyce of hym that crieth in the wyldernesse: Prepare ye the waye of the Lorde, and make his pathes strayght.
(A voice of him that crieth/cries in the wilderness: Prepare ye/you_all the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight.)

Gnva The voyce of him that cryeth in the wildernesse is, Prepare the way of the Lord: make his paths straight.
(The voice of him that crieth/cries in the wilderness is, Prepare the way of the Lord: make his paths straight. )

Cvdl The voyce of a cryer is in the wyldernes: Prepare the waye of the LORDE, make his pathes straight.
(The voice of a cryer is in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD, make his paths straight.)

TNT The voyce of a cryer in the wildernes: prepare ye the waye of the Lorde make his paches streyght.
(The voice of a cryer in the wilderness: prepare ye/you_all the way of the Lord make his paths straight. )

Wycl The vois of a crier in desert, Make ye redi the weie of the Lord, make ye hise paththis riyt.
(The voice of a crier in desert, Make ye/you_all ready the way of the Lord, make ye/you_all his paththis right.)

Luth Es ist eine Stimme eines Predigers in der Wüste: Bereitet den Weg des HErr’s, machet seine Steige richtig!
(It is a/one voice one/a preacher in the/of_the desert: Prepare the way/path/road the LORD’s, makes his steep_track correct!)

ClVg Vox clamantis in deserto: Parate viam Domini, rectas facite semitas ejus.][fn]
(The_voice crying in/into/on in_the_desert: Parate way/road Master, correct do_it path his.] )

1.3 Clamantis. ISID. Ad Judæos surdos propter peccata longe positos, indignationis clamore dignos. In deserto. In deserto fit vox et clamor: quia deserta domus Judæa vacans scopata sine spiritu Dei, propheta, rege, sacerdote. Unde Jesus et Joannes quærunt quod in deserto amissum est. Ubi vicit diabolus, ibi vincitur: ubi cecidit homo, ibi resurgit. Parate. ISID. Pœnitentiam agite et prædicate. Unde Parasceve ante sabbatum, etc., usque ad ut possideamus quieti terram desiderabilem. Viam Domini. HIER. Via Domini qua ad homines ingreditur, pœnitentia est, per quam ad nos Deus descendit, et nos ad illum ascendimus. Unde angeli ascendentes descendentesque memorantur super Filium hominis. Rectas facite semitas. ISID. Præcipit, ut regia via euntes, proximos diligamus ut nos, et nos, etc., usque ad ut non separetur os ab opere, nec opus ab ore. Semitæ post viam, quia mandata moralia post pœnitentiam secundum Marcum vel Matthæum explanantur. Paratur via per fidem et baptismum et pœnitentiam. Rectæ semitæ per austera indicia vestis, zonæ, cibi, potus, vocis humillimæ.

1.3 Clamantis. ISID. To Yudahos the_deaf because sins far_away placed, of_indignation shout worthy. In in_the_desert. In in_the_desert fit voice and clamor: because deserted home Yudea vacans scopata without in_spirit of_God, a_prophet, king, priest. From_where/who Yesus and Yoannes they_seek that in/into/on in_the_desert amissum it_is. Where won the_devil, there is_defeated: where fell human, there resurgit. Parate. ISID. Pœnitentiam drive and preache. From_where/who Parasceve before sabbath, etc., until to as get_itamus quieti the_earth/land desiderabilem. The_way/road Master. HIER. Via Master which to people/men enters, repentance it_is, through how to us God came_down, and us to him we_are_going_up. From_where/who messengers/angels ascending descendentesque memorantur over Son of_man. Rectas do_it path. ISID. Præcipit, as royal way/road going, neighbours I_will_loveus as us, and us, etc., until to as not/no be_separated mouth away by_work, but_not work/need away vocally. Semitæ after way/road, because commands moralia after repentance after/second Marcum or Matthæum explanantur. Paratur way/road through faith and baptism and repentance. Rectæ paths through austera indicia clothing, zones, food, drink(n), voices humillimæ.

UGNT φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ.
(fōnaʸ boōntos en taʸ eraʸmōi, hetoimasate taʸn hodon Kuriou, eutheias poieite tas tribous autou.)

SBL-GNT φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ,
(fōnaʸ boōntos en taʸ eraʸmōi; Hetoimasate taʸn hodon kuriou, eutheias poieite tas tribous autou,)

RP-GNT Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου· εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ.
(Fōnaʸ boōntos en taʸ eraʸmōi, Hetoimasate taʸn hodon kuriou; eutheias poieite tas tribous autou.)

TC-GNT Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ,
⇔ Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου·
⇔ εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ,
(Fōnaʸ boōntos en taʸ eraʸmōi,
⇔ Hetoimasate taʸn hodon Kuriou;
⇔ eutheias poieite tas tribous autou, )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 1:1–8: God sent John the Baptizer to prepare the people to receive Jesus

These notes have divided this section into three paragraphs:

1:1 serves as an introduction both to section 1:1–8 and to the book as a whole.

1:2–3 introduces John the Baptizer by quoting the Old Testament verses that predict his ministry.

1:4–8 describes John, his ministry and his message.

In some languages it may be more natural to make different paragraph breaks. For example:

1:1–3 and 1:4–8 (GNT, NCV)
1:1–8 (NRSV, REB, NAB, NJB)

Divide the paragraphs in a way that will fit the style of your language.

It is good to translate the section before you decide on a section heading for it. You will need to use terms in the heading that you have used in the verses within the section. For example, before you write a section heading for this section, you will need to know how you have translated the word “Baptizer.” See the note on 1:4a.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The preaching of John the Baptizer

John prepared people for Jesus to arrive

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 3:1–12; Luke 3:1–18; and John 1:19–28.

Paragraph 1:2–3

The quotes in 1:2–3 come from two books of the Old Testament. The quote in 1:3 is from Isaiah 40:3. The quote in 1:2 is from Malachi 3:1. Some parts of 1:2–3 may also be from Exodus 23:20. Mark mentioned only Isaiah. Consider whether it would be helpful to your readers to use footnotes to give the references for these Old Testament quotations.

1:3a

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,

His voice will be heard in the wilderness, shouting,
He will be in the region with no inhabitants, and he will call out to those who come to hear him, saying,
He will stay in remote areas and announce to people that

A voice of one calling in the wilderness: The words A voice of one calling in the wilderness refer to the messenger who was mentioned in 1:2c. The messenger would prepare the way for the Christ by shouting out God’s message in the wilderness. The messenger had not yet come at the time when Isaiah was writing. He was writing about what would happen in the future. So in many languages it will be necessary to use the future tense here in 1:3a, as well as in 1:2b–c. For example:

A voice of one will be calling in the wilderness

A voice of one calling: In this context the phrase A voice is a figure of speech. The voice represents the “messenger” whom God was sending. If it will not be clear that the voice and the “messenger” refer to the same person, you may need to make this explicit.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

He is a voice shouting (NLT)

He will call out…

The messenger’s voice will call out…

calling: The Greek word that the BSB translates as calling refers to shouting or speaking in a loud voice. Be sure that your translation does not imply that John was angry or insane. Use a term that describes speaking loudly so that people can hear the words clearly.

in the wilderness: The Greek word that the BSB translates as wilderness refers to an area where few people live. Some versions translate this word as “desert,” but this does not necessarily refer to a dry, sandy desert. Some languages have a special word to refer to such areas, such as “the bush” (Africa) or “steppes” (Asia).

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

land with few people

place with no inhabitants

wild, open area

Because the wilderness was an area where few or no people lived, 1:3a may imply that John was calling out loudly with no one to listen. If so, you may need to make explicit that people went to listen to him. For example:

He will shout out to those who go to listen to him in the wilderness.

1:3b–c

This part of the verse is from the Old Testament. It consists of two lines of poetry that have similar meanings. These two lines also contain a quote within a quote. See the General Comment on 1:3b–c below for advice on these two issues.

1:3b

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

‘Prepare^(plur) the way for the Lord’s coming,
‘Prepare yourselves for the Lord’s arrival,
they must get ready for God the Lord to come.

Prepare the way: This phrase is a metaphor that has the same meaning as the similar phrase in 1:2c (see the note there). Both metaphors use the illustration of preparing a road for a king’s arrival. These metaphors indicate that people should prepare their minds and hearts for the coming of the Lord.

It is good to use similar words in translating both metaphors. However, if you made some details explicit in 1:2c, you may be able to translate more simply here. Your translation should sound like natural speech for someone who is proclaiming a message to people.

the Lord: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Lord means “master, one who has authority over others.” Here it refers to God. It is a translation of God’s personal name in Hebrew. In this context it indicates that God was coming to people as the Messiah.

Here are some other ways to translate Lord:

Master/Chief

Ruler

In some languages people may not naturally use a word that means “master” to refer to God. If speakers of your language do not understand that your word for “Lord” refers to God in this context, here are other ways to translate it:

Use your word for God.
Use your word for God and indicate that he is the Lord. For example:
God the Lord
Master God

If you include the word for God in your translation of Lord, you may want to include a footnote to give the literal Greek meaning. For example:

Here the Greek text is literally “Lord.”

See Lord, Context 2, in the Glossary.

1:3c

make straight paths for Him.’”

straighten^(plur) the paths that he will take.’ ”
so that his path will be straight.’ ”
They must fix the path on which he will travel.”

make straight paths for Him: The phrase make straight paths for Him is a metaphor. It refers to the same action as the metaphor in 1:3b. It explains how to prepare the way. People prepared a path by making the crooked places straight. The GNT translates this as:

make a straight path for him to travel (GNT)

General Comment on 1:3b–c

In 1:3b and 1:3c Mark referred to the same activity. In some languages you may need to make this clear in some way. For example:

Prepare the road/path for the Lord’s coming by making it straight.

Clear and straighten the road that the Lord will take so that it will be ready for his coming.

In 1:3b–c Mark was quoting God, and God was saying the words that his messenger would shout to people. This is a quote within a quote. In some languages you may need to use an indirect quote for the words of the messenger. For example:

^3a–cHe will shout in the wilderness, announcing to those who go to listen that they should prepare the road for the Lord’s coming. They should make it straight and smooth.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

φωνὴ βοῶντος

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Φωνή βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Ἑτοιμάσατε τήν ὁδόν Κυρίου εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τάς τρίβους αὐτοῦ)

The author of the quotation is using voice to represent a person speaking. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [a person calling out] or [someone calling out]

Note 2 topic: writing-quotations

βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ,

˱of˲_˓a˒_shouting_‹one› in the desert

Consider natural ways of introducing direct quotations in your language. Alternate translation: [of one calling out in the wilderness and saying] or [of one calling out in the wilderness, declaring]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes

ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ

in the desert (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Φωνή βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Ἑτοιμάσατε τήν ὁδόν Κυρίου εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τάς τρίβους αὐτοῦ)

If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. If you do, you will need to delete the single quotation mark at the end of this quotation. Alternate translation: [the wilderness that people must make ready the way of the Lord, that they must make his paths straight]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ

These two phrases mean basically the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. Hebrew poetry was based on this kind of repetition, and it would be good to show this to your readers by including both phrases in your translation rather than combining them. However, if it would be helpful to your readers, you could connect the phrases with a connecting word in order to show that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: [Make ready the way of the Lord, yes, make his paths straight]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ

Here the author of the quotation speaks as if people should build or maintain roads for the Lord to travel on as he comes to visit his people. He means that people need to be living and acting in proper ways when the Lord appears to his people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the metaphor in simile form or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [Live and behave in a way that pleases God, as if you were making a road ready for him to travel on]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

ἑτοιμάσατε & ποιεῖτε

Because the person who is crying out is speaking to many people, the commands Make ready and make are plural.