John the Baptist Prepares the
Way
1
In those
days John
the
Baptist
came,
preaching
in the
wilderness
of Judea
2 and
saying,
“Repent,
for the
kingdom of
heaven 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.’”
4 John’s
clothes
were made
of camel’s
hair, and
he had a
leather
belt
around his
waist. His
food was
locusts
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
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!
Who warned
you to
flee from
the coming
wrath?
8 Produce
fruit in
keeping
with
repentance.
9 And
do not
think you
can say to
yourselves,
‘We have
Abraham as
our
father.’ 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.
11 “I baptize you with water for
repentance.
But after
me comes
one who is
more
powerful
than I,
whose
sandals I
am not
worthy to
carry. He
will
baptize
you with
the Holy
Spirit and
fire.
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.”
The Baptism of Jesus
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the
Jordan to
be
baptized
by John.
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,
and he saw
the Spirit
of God
descending
like a
dove and
alighting
on him.
17 And
a voice
from
heaven
said,
“This is
my Son,
whom I
love; with
him I am
well
pleased.”