The Preaching of John the Baptist

Now (A)in those days (B)John the Baptist *[a]came, [b]preaching in the (C)wilderness of Judea, saying, (D)Repent, for (E)the kingdom of heaven [c]is at hand.” 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!’”

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. At that time Jerusalem (K)was going out to him, and all Judea and all (L)the region around the Jordan; and they were being (M)baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

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? (R)Therefore produce fruit (S)consistent with repentance; 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.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 3:1 Or arrived; or appeared
  2. Matthew 3:1 Or proclaiming as a herald
  3. Matthew 3:2 Lit has come near
  4. Matthew 3:3 Or through
  5. Matthew 3:3 Or shouting
  6. Matthew 3:3 Or out, Prepare in the wilderness the way
  7. Matthew 3:4 Lit his garment
  8. Matthew 3:7 Later mss his baptism
  9. Matthew 3:7 Or brood
  10. Matthew 3:11 The Gr here can be translated in, with, or by
  11. Matthew 3:11 The Gr here can be translated in, with, or by

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