As<n id="1" /> he rode along, they<n id="2" /> spread their cloaks on the road.

<p class="poetry">And you, child,<n id="1" /> will be called the prophet<n id="2" /> of the Most High.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">For you will go before<n id="4" /> the Lord to prepare his ways,<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">to guide our feet into the way<n id="2" /> of peace.&#8221;p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">As<n id="1" /> they were walking<n id="2" /> along the road, someone said to him, &#8220;I will follow you wherever you go.&#8221;<n id="3" />

Do not carry<n id="1" /> a money bag,<n id="2" /> a traveler&#8217;s bag,<n id="3" /> or sandals, and greet no one on the road.<n id="4" />

Now by chance<n id="1" /> a priest was going down that road, but<n id="2" /> when he saw the injured man<n id="3" /> he passed by<n id="4" /> on the other side.<n id="5" />

because a friend of mine has stopped here while on a journey,<n id="1" /> and I have nothing to set before<n id="2" /> him.&#8217;

<t /><p class="bodytext">As<n id="1" /> Jesus<n id="2" /> approached<n id="3" /> Jericho,<n id="4" /> a blind man was sitting by the road begging.

Then they told what had happened on the road,<n id="1" /> and how they recognized him<n id="2" /> when he broke the bread.p>

but (because they assumed that he was in their group of travelers)<n id="1" /> they went a day&#8217;s journey. Then<n id="2" /> they began to look for him among their relatives and acquaintances.<n id="3" />

<p class="otpoetry"><i><b>Every valley will be filled,b>i><n id="1" />p> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>and every mountain and hill will be brought low,i>b>p> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>and the crooked will be made straight,i>b>p> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>and the rough ways will be made smooth,i>b>p>

This is the one about whom it is written, &#8216;<b><i>Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,i>b><n id="1" /> <b><i>who will prepare your way before youi>b>.&#8217;<n id="2" />

He<n id="1" /> said to them, &#8220;Take nothing for your<n id="2" /> journey &#8211; no staff,<n id="3" /> no bag,<n id="4" /> no bread, no money, and do not take an extra tunic.<n id="5" />

So<n id="1" /> the master said to his<n id="2" /> slave, &#8216;Go out to the highways<n id="3" /> and country roads<n id="4" /> and urge<n id="5" /> people<n id="6" /> to come in, so that my house will be filled.<n id="7" />

They<n id="1" /> said to each other, &#8220;Didn&#8217;t<n id="2" /> our hearts<n id="3" /> burn within us<n id="4" /> while he was speaking with us on the road, while he was explaining<n id="5" /> the scriptures to us?&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,p> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>&#8220;The voicei>b><n id="1" /> <b><i>of one shouting in the wilderness:i>b><n id="2" />p> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>&#8216;Prepare the way for the Lord,i>b>p> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>makei>b><n id="3" /> <i><b>his paths straightb>.i>p>

&#8220;A sower went out to sow<n id="1" /> his seed.<n id="2" /> And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled on, and the wild birds<n id="3" /> devoured it.

Those along the path are the ones who have heard; then the devil<n id="1" /> comes and takes away the word<n id="2" /> from their hearts, so that they may not believe<n id="3" /> and be saved.

Thus<n id="1" /> they asked him, &#8220;Teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly,<n id="2" /> and show no partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.<n id="3" />

As you are going with your accuser before the magistrate,<n id="1" /> make an effort to settle with him on the way, so that he will not drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer,<n id="2" /> and the officer throw you into prison.