John the Baptist
Prepares
the Way
1 In the fifteenth year of
the reign
of
Tiberius
Caesar—when
Pontius
Pilate was
governor
of Judea,
Herod
tetrarch
of
Galilee,
his
brother
Philip
tetrarch
of Iturea
and
Traconitis,
and
Lysanias
tetrarch
of
Abilene—
2 during
the
high-priesthood
of Annas
and
Caiaphas,
the word
of God
came to
John son
of
Zechariah
in the
wilderness.
3 He went
into all
the
country
around the
Jordan,
preaching
a baptism
of
repentance
for the
forgiveness
of sins.
4 As it is
written in
the book
of the
words of
Isaiah the
prophet:
“A voice of one calling in
the
wilderness,
‘Prepare
the way
for the
Lord,
make
straight
paths for
him.
5 Every
valley
shall be
filled in,
every
mountain
and hill
made low.
The
crooked
roads
shall
become
straight,
the
rough ways
smooth.
6 And
all people
will see
God’s
salvation.’”
7 John said to the crowds
coming out
to be
baptized
by him,
“You brood
of vipers!
Who warned
you to
flee from
the coming
wrath?
8 Produce
fruit in
keeping
with
repentance.
And do not
begin to
say to
yourselves,
‘We have
Abraham as
our
father.’
For I tell
you that
out of
these
stones God
can raise
up
children
for
Abraham.
9 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.”
10 “What should we do
then?” the
crowd
asked.
11 John answered, “Anyone
who has
two shirts
should
share with
the one
who has
none, and
anyone who
has food
should do
the same.”
12 Even tax collectors
came to be
baptized.
“Teacher,”
they
asked,
“what
should we
do?”
13 “Don’t collect any more
than you
are
required
to,” he
told them.
14 Then some soldiers
asked him,
“And what
should we
do?”
He replied, “Don’t extort
money and
don’t
accuse
people
falsely—be
content
with your
pay.”
15 The people were waiting
expectantly
and were
all
wondering
in their
hearts if
John might
possibly
be the
Messiah.
16 John
answered
them all,
“I baptize
you with
water. But
one who is
more
powerful
than I
will come,
the straps
of whose
sandals I
am not
worthy to
untie. He
will
baptize
you with
the Holy
Spirit and
fire.
17 His
winnowing
fork is in
his hand
to clear
his
threshing
floor and
to gather
the wheat
into his
barn, but
he will
burn up
the chaff
with
unquenchable
fire.”
18 And
with many
other
words John
exhorted
the people
and
proclaimed
the good
news to
them.
19 But when John rebuked
Herod the
tetrarch
because of
his
marriage
to
Herodias,
his
brother’s
wife, and
all the
other evil
things he
had done,
20 Herod
added this
to them
all: He
locked
John up in
prison.
The Baptism and
Genealogy
of Jesus
21 When all the people
were being
baptized,
Jesus was
baptized
too. And
as he was
praying,
heaven was
opened
22 and
the Holy
Spirit
descended
on him in
bodily
form like
a dove.
And a
voice came
from
heaven:
“You are
my Son,
whom I
love; with
you I am
well
pleased.”
23 Now Jesus himself
was about
thirty
years old
when he
began his
ministry.
He was the
son, so it
was
thought,
of Joseph,
the son of Heli,
24 the son
of
Matthat,
the son of Levi, the son
of Melki,
the son of Jannai, the son
of Joseph,
25 the son of
Mattathias,
the son of
Amos,
the son of Nahum, the son
of Esli,
the son of Naggai,
26 the
son of
Maath,
the son of Mattathias, the
son of
Semein,
the son of Josek, the son
of Joda,
27 the son of Joanan,
the son of
Rhesa,
the son of Zerubbabel, the
son of
Shealtiel,
the son of Neri,
28 the son
of Melki,
the son of Addi, the son
of Cosam,
the son of Elmadam, the
son of Er,
29 the son of Joshua,
the son of
Eliezer,
the son of Jorim, the son
of
Matthat,
the son of Levi,
30 the son
of Simeon,
the son of Judah, the son
of Joseph,
the son of Jonam, the son
of
Eliakim,
31 the son of Melea,
the son of
Menna,
the son of Mattatha, the
son of
Nathan,
the son of David,
32 the son
of Jesse,
the son of Obed, the son
of Boaz,
the son of Salmon,
the son of
Nahshon,
33 the son of
Amminadab,
the son of
Ram,
the son of Hezron, the son
of Perez,
the son of Judah,
34 the son
of Jacob,
the son of Isaac, the son
of
Abraham,
the son of Terah, the son
of Nahor,
35 the son of Serug,
the son of
Reu,
the son of Peleg, the son
of Eber,
the son of Shelah,
36 the
son of
Cainan,
the son of Arphaxad, the
son of
Shem,
the son of Noah, the son
of Lamech,
37 the son of
Methuselah,
the son of
Enoch,
the son of Jared, the son
of
Mahalalel,
the son of Kenan,
38 the son
of Enosh,
the son of Seth, the son
of Adam,
the son of God.