Mark 1:3 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark 1:2 Even as it is written in Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way.

Mark 1:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight;

Mark 1:4 John came, who baptized in the wilderness and preached the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins.

Mark 1:5 And there went out unto him all the country of Judaea, and all they of Jerusalem; And they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "voice", "crying", "wilderness", "make", "ready", "lord", and "paths". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "voice" and "crying", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "Even as it is written in Isaiah..." into verse 4's "John came who baptized in the wilderness...", so "voice" and "crying" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "voice" and "crying" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.