1:5a

went out: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as went out means that people left their homes in the city or countryside. They went to the place where John was. The verb also indicates that people went to listen to John many times, not just once.

Here are some other ways to say this in English:

were going out
-or-
kept going out

In some languages, it may be more natural to say here that people “came” to John rather than they “went.” Use the verb that is more natural in this context.

In some languages it may be necessary to specify a location or a purpose for going. For example:

traveled out into the wilderness to see and hear John (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)
-or-
came/went to where he was

from all of Jerusalem and the countryside of Judea: In this context the author used the word all to emphasize that many people from these areas went to hear John. It is a hyperbole. It does not mean that every person in Jerusalem and the countryside of Judea went to hear John.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

from Jerusalem and from all over Judea (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)
-or-
from most of Jerusalem and the countryside of Judea

countryside of Judea: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as countryside of Judea refers to the region or land of Judea.

Jerusalem: Jerusalem was a city within Judea. If you use footnotes, you may want to add a footnote with information like the following:

Jerusalem was the capital city of Judea province/land.

1:5b

Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River: The form of the word Confessing indicates that people confessed their sins before or during their baptism. You may translate it either way. For example:

They told how sorry they were for their sins, and he baptized them in the Jordan River. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. (New Living Translation)
-or-
As they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. (God’s Word)

Confessing their sins: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Confessing indicates that the people admitted that they had sinned. (France (page 68) says there is no indication whether the confession was silent or aloud, but Hiebert (page 33), Lenski (page 36), UBS Handbook (page 17), TRT (page 5) and Louw and Nida (page 420) all say that this was a public acknowledgment of having sinned, though not necessarily a detailed list of specific sins.) They may have confessed their sins in a general way without listing in detail all their specific sins. It is not clear whether they confessed to John or whether they confessed to God in the presence of John and the other people.

Here are some ways to translate this:

confessed/admitted their sins
-or-
acknowledged that they were sinners
-or-
said that they had sinned

sins: See the note in 1:4d.

they were baptized by him in the Jordan River: This clause is passive. In some languages it may be more natural to make it active. Be sure to use an appropriate form of your term for “baptize.” For example:

John baptized them in the Jordan river
-or-
John ceremonially cleansed them for God in the Jordan river

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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