John 1:23

John the Baptist answers those sent to question him.

Greek

ἔφη·EH-fayἘγὼeh-GOHφωνὴfoh-NAYβοῶντοςbo-OHN-tosἐνenτῇtayἐρήμῳ·eh-RAY-mohΕὐθύνατεew-THOO-nah-tehτὴνtaynὁδὸνho-DONκυρίου,koo-REE-ooκαθὼςkah-THOHSεἶπενAY-penἨσαΐαςay-sah-EE-asὁhoπροφήτης.pro-FAY-tays

Latin

Ait:AH-itEgoEH-govōxwohxclāmantisklah-MAN-tisinindēsertō:day-SER-tohDīrigitedee-RIH-gih-tehviamWEE-amDominī,DO-mih-neesīcutSEE-kutdīxitDEEK-sitIsaīāsih-sah-EE-ahsprophēta.pro-FAY-tah

English

He declared, “I am a voice of someone shouting in the desert: ‘Straighten the way of the Lord,’ just as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Word by word

Greek	Latin	Note
ἔφηfrom φημί, “to say, declare”	Aitfrom aiō	ἔφη: he declared, from φημί, to say, to declare. Latin: ait.
Ἐγὼfrom ἐγώ, “I”	Egofrom ego	ἐγώ, ego: I. Neither language needs a word for am.
φωνὴfrom φωνή, “voice, sound”	vōxall forms	φωνή: a voice. Latin: vōx.
βοῶντοςfrom βοάω, “to shout, cry out”	clāmantisfrom clāmō	βοῶντος: of someone shouting, a participle in the genitive. Latin: clāmantis, the same.
ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳfrom ἔρημος, “deserted; wilderness”	in dēsertōfrom dēserō	ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ: in the desert. ἔρημος means deserted; with the feminine article, the desert. Latin: in dēsertō, an abandoned place, from dēserō, to abandon.
Εὐθύνατεfrom εὐθύνω, “to make straight”	Dīrigitefrom dīrigō	εὐθύνατε: straighten, from εὐθύνω, an aorist command, plural. Latin: dīrigite, from dīrigō.
τὴν ὁδὸνfrom ὁδός, “way, road”	viamfrom via	τὴν ὁδόν: the way, from ὁδός, feminine despite its ending. Latin: viam, from via.
κυρίουfrom κύριος, “lord, master”	Dominīfrom dominus	κυρίου: of the Lord. Latin: Dominī.
καθὼςfrom καθώς, “just as”	sīcutall forms	καθώς: just as. Latin: sīcut.
εἶπενfrom λέγω, “to say”	dīxitfrom dīcō	εἶπεν: said. Latin: dīxit.
Ἠσαΐας“Isaiah”	Isaīās	Ἠσαΐας: Isaiah. Latin: Isaīās.
ὁ προφήτηςfrom προφήτης, “prophet”	prophētaall forms	ὁ προφήτης: the prophet. Latin borrows the Greek word: prophēta.

New core words

Greek

φημί say, declare ἔρημος deserted; ἡ ἔρημος wilderness ὁδός way, road

Latin

dēserō abandon, desert; (dēsertum)desert via way, road, path; journey

Greek core words met235 / 345 Latin core words met243 / 345

Watch it read aloud

In the video, Jerome reads this passage in Greek, then Latin, then English, and takes it apart word by word. It starts at or open it on YouTube.

**▶ Greek and Latin with Jerome: Reading the New Testament** Read the Greek New Testament and the Latin Vulgate side by side, word by word, with Saint Jerome: 124 passages in Bible order, each read in Greek, then Latin, then English, then taken apart word by word. Along the way you meet the 345 most common words of each New Testament, which make up more than three of every four words in it. More about this video → · All videos

Passage 73 of 124 in the Greek and Latin with Jerome study companion · PDF page 100 · open the PDF here