Now in the fifteenth
year
of the reign
of Tiberius
Caesar
, when aPontius
Pilate
was governor
of Judea
, and bHerod
was tetrarch
of Galilee
, and his brother
Philip
was tetrarch
of the region
of Ituraea
and Trachonitis
, and Lysanias
was tetrarch
of Abilene
,
in the high priesthood
of aAnnas
and bCaiaphas
, cthe word
of God
came
to John
, the son
of Zacharias
, in the wilderness
.
And he came into all
athe district
around
the Jordan
, preaching
a baptism
of repentance
for the forgiveness
of sins
;
as it is written in the book
of the words
of Isaiah
the prophet
, " aTHE VOICE
OF ONE CRYING
IN THE WILDERNESS
, `MAKE
READY
THE WAY
OF THE LORD
, MAKE
HIS PATHS
STRAIGHT
.
` aEVERY RAVINE
WILL BE FILLED
, AND EVERY
MOUNTAIN
AND HILL
WILL BE 1BROUGHT
LOW
; THE CROOKED
WILL BECOME
STRAIGHT
, AND THE ROUGH
ROADS
SMOOTH
;
aAND ALL 1FLESH
WILL bSEE
THE SALVATION
OF GOD
.' "
So he began saying
to the crowds
who were going
out to be baptized
by him, " aYou brood
of vipers
, who
warned
you to flee
from the wrath
to come
?
"Therefore bear
fruits
in keeping
with repentance
, and ado not begin
to say
1to yourselves
, ` bWe have
Abraham
for our father
,' for I say
to you that from these
stones
God
is able
to raise
up children
to Abraham
.
"Indeed the axe
is already
laid
at the root
of the trees
; so
aevery
tree
that does not bear
good
fruit
is cut
down
and thrown
into the fire
."
And the crowds were questioning
him, saying
, " aThen
what
shall we do
?"
And he would answer and say
to them, "The man who has
two
tunics
is to ashare
with him who has
none
; and he who has
food
is to do
likewise
."
And some atax collectors
also
came
to be baptized
, and they said
to him, "Teacher
, what
shall we do
?"
And he said to them, " 1Collect
no
more
than
what you have been ordered
to."
Some soldiers were questioning
him, saying
, "And what about us, what
shall we do
?" And he said
to them, "Do not take
money
from anyone
by force
, or
aaccuse
anyone falsely
, and bbe content
with your wages
."
Now while the people
were in a state
of expectation
and all
were 1wondering
in their hearts
about
John
, aas to whether
he was 2the Christ
,
aJohn answered
and said
to them all
, "As for me, I baptize
you with water
; but One is coming
who is mightier
than I, and I am
not fit
to untie
the thong
of His sandals
; He will baptize
you 1with the Holy
Spirit
and fire
.
"His awinnowing fork
is in His hand
to thoroughly
clear
His threshing
floor
, and to gather
the wheat
into His barn
; but He will burn
up the chaff
with bunquenchable
fire
."
So with many
other
exhortations
he preached
the gospel
to the people
.
But when aHerod the tetrarch
was reprimanded
by him because
of aHerodias
, his brother's
wife
, and because
of all
the wicked
things
which
bHerod
had done
,
Herod also added
this
to them all
: ahe locked
John
up in prison
.
aNow when
all
the people
were baptized
, Jesus
was also
baptized
, and while He was bpraying
, heaven
was opened
,
and the Holy Spirit
descended
upon Him in bodily
form
like
a dove
, and a voice
came
out of heaven
, " aYou are My beloved
Son
, in You I am
well-pleased
."
aWhen He began His ministry, Jesus
Himself
was about
thirty
years
of age
, being
, 1as was supposed
, the son
of bJoseph
, 2the son
of 3Eli
,
the son of Matthat, the son of Levi
, the son of Melchi
, the son of Jannai
, the son of Joseph
,
the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos
, the son of Nahum
, the son of 1Hesli
, the son of Naggai
,
the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias
, the son of Semein
, the son of Josech
, the son of Joda
,
the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa
, athe son of Zerubbabel
, the son of 1Shealtiel
, the son of Neri
,
the son of Melchi, the son of Addi
, the son of Cosam
, the son of Elmadam
, the son of Er
,
the son of 1Joshua, the son of Eliezer
, the son of Jorim
, the son of Matthat
, the son of Levi
,
the son of Simeon, the son of 1Judah
, the son of Joseph
, the son of Jonam
, the son of Eliakim
,
the son of Melea, the son of Menna
, the son of Mattatha
, the son of Nathan
, the son of David
,
athe son of Jesse, the son of Obed
, the son of Boaz
, the son of 1Salmon
, the son of 2Nahshon
,
the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin
, the son of 1Ram
, the son of Hezron
, the son of Perez
, the son of Judah
,
the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac
, athe son of Abraham
, the son of Terah
, the son of Nahor
,
the son of Serug, the son of 1Reu
, the son of Peleg
, the son of 2Heber
, the son of Shelah
,
the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad
, the son of Shem
, athe son of Noah
, the son of Lamech
,
the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch
, the son of Jared
, the son of Mahalaleel
, the son of Cainan
,
the son of Enosh, the son of Seth
, the son of Adam
, the son of God
.