3 While Jesus still lived in Nazareth, a man called John the Baptist was speaking a message from God. He was doing this in the wilderness in Judea. [ a ] 2 He told people, ‘You have done many wrong things. You must turn away from them and change how you live. Do this now, because the kingdom of heaven has come very near.’
3 God's prophet Isaiah spoke about this man John long ago. He said:
‘Somebody's voice is shouting in the wilderness,
“The Lord will come soon, so prepare a way for him to follow.
Make the paths straight for him.” ’ [ b ]
4 John wore clothes made from the hair of a camel. He also wore a belt made from leather. His usual food was locusts and honey from the wilderness. [ c ]
5 Many people went to listen to John. They lived in Jerusalem and all over the country called Judea and many other places near the Jordan River. 6 The people told God about all the wrong things that they had done. Then John baptized them in the Jordan River. [ d ]
7 Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to John. [ e ] They wanted John to baptize them. He said to them, ‘You are like dangerous snakes. God is angry. You are trying to run away from him. But he will soon punish people like you. 8 You have to show that you are sorry. Change how you live. Stop doing things that God does not like. 9 Do not say to yourselves, “We are in the family of Abraham. God will surely not punish us.” Listen! God can take these stones and make children for Abraham out of them! 10 You are like trees that have bad fruit. God has an axe ready to use. He will cut down every tree that does not make good fruit. He will throw those trees into the fire.
11 I baptize you with water. This shows that you want to change the way that you live. But another person will come soon. [ f ] He is greater than I am. I am not good enough even to carry his shoes for him. This other person will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 He is like a farmer that brings the wheat home from his field. He uses a special tool to throw the wheat up in the air. He does this to make the wheat seeds separate from what remains. Then he cleans his yard. He carefully stores all the seeds to keep them safe. But he burns everything else in a great fire that nobody can put out.’
13 Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River. He wanted John to baptize him. 14 But John tried to stop him. He said to Jesus, ‘I should ask you to baptize me. You should not ask me to baptize you.’
15 Jesus replied, ‘This time, do what I ask you to do. We must do everything correctly, as God wants it.’ So John did what Jesus asked him to do.
16 When John baptized him, Jesus came up out of the water. At that moment, the skies opened. Jesus saw God's Spirit coming down. He came down like a dove and he stayed on Jesus. 17 Then a voice spoke from heaven, which said, ‘This man is my Son and I love him. He makes me very happy.’
3 When it was the right time, John the Baptizer began telling people a message from God. This was out in the desert area of Judea. 2 John said, “Change your hearts and lives, because God’s kingdom is now very near. [ a ] ” 3 John is the one Isaiah the prophet was talking about when he said,
“There is someone shouting in the desert:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
Make the road straight for him.’” ( B )
4 John’s clothes were made from camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. For food, he ate locusts and wild honey. 5 People came to John from Jerusalem and the rest of Judea and from all the areas along the Jordan River. 6 They confessed the bad things they had done, and John baptized them in the Jordan.
7 Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to where John was baptizing people. When John saw them, he said, “You are all snakes! Who warned you to run from God’s judgment that is coming? 8 Change your hearts! And show by the way you live that you have changed. 9 I know what you are thinking. You want to say, ‘but Abraham is our father!’ That means nothing. I tell you, God could make children for Abraham from these rocks. 10 The ax is now ready to cut down the trees. [ b ] Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 “I baptize you with water to show that you have changed your hearts and lives. But there is someone coming later who is able to do more than I can. I am not good enough to be the slave who takes off his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 He will come ready to clean the grain. [ c ] He will separate the good grain from the straw, and he will put the good part into his barn. Then he will burn the useless part with a fire that cannot be stopped.”
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River. He came to John, wanting John to baptize him. 14 But John tried to stop him. John said, “Why do you come to me to be baptized? I should be baptized by you!”
15 Jesus answered, “Let it be this way for now. We should do whatever God says is right.” Then John agreed.
16 So Jesus was baptized. As soon as he came up out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw God’s Spirit coming down on him like a dove. 17 A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the one I love. I am very pleased with him.”
3 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
3 Now ( A ) in those days ( B ) John the Baptist * [ a ] came, [ b ] preaching in the ( C ) wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “ ( D ) Repent, for ( E ) the kingdom of heaven [ c ] is at hand.” 3 For this is the ( F ) one referred to [ d ] by Isaiah the prophet when he said,
“ ( G ) The voice of one [ e ] calling [ f ] out in the wilderness ,
‘ ( H ) Prepare the way of the Lord ,
Make His paths straight !’”
4 Now John himself had [ g ] ( I ) a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was ( J ) locusts and wild honey. 5 At that time Jerusalem ( K ) was going out to him, and all Judea and all ( L ) the region around the Jordan; 6 and they were being ( M ) baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the ( N ) Pharisees and ( O ) Sadducees coming for [ h ] baptism, he said to them, “You [ i ] ( P ) offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from ( Q ) the wrath to come? 8 ( R ) Therefore produce fruit ( S ) consistent with repentance; 9 and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘ ( T ) We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham. 10 And the ( U ) axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, ( V ) every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 “As for me, ( W ) I baptize you [ j ] with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; ( X ) He will baptize you [ k ] with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His ( Y ) winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will ( Z ) gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the ( AA ) chaff with ( AB ) unquenchable fire.”
13 ( AC ) Then Jesus *arrived ( AD ) from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have the need to be baptized by You, and yet You are coming to me?” 15 But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us ( AE ) to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he *allowed Him. 16 After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and [ l ] ( AF ) he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and [ m ] settling on Him, 17 and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “ ( AG ) This is [ n ] My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
3 In those days John the Baptist ( B ) came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven ( C ) has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’” [ a ] ( D )
4 John’s ( E ) clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. ( F ) His food was locusts ( G ) and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized ( H ) by him in the Jordan River.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! ( I ) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ( J ) 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. ( K ) 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ ( L ) I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. ( M )
11 “I baptize you with [ b ] water for repentance. ( N ) But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with [ c ] the Holy Spirit ( O ) and fire. ( P ) 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” ( Q )
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ( S ) 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, ( T ) and he saw the Spirit of God ( U ) descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven ( V ) said, “This is my Son, ( W ) whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” ( X )
