John the Baptist Prepares the Way(A)

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, (B)Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, [a]while (C)Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to (D)John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. (E)And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance (F)for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

(G)“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth;
And (H)all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”

John Preaches to the People(I)

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, (J)“Brood[b] of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits (K)worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore (L)every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10 So the people asked him, saying, (M)“What shall we do then?”

11 He answered and said to them, (N)“He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, (O)let him do likewise.”

12 Then (P)tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”

13 And he said to them, (Q)“Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”

14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?”

So he said to them, “Do not [c]intimidate anyone (R)or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”

15 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, 16 John answered, saying to all, (S)“I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will (T)baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and (U)gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

18 And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. 19 (V)But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his [d]brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.

John Baptizes Jesus(W)

21 When all the people were baptized, (X)it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am (Y)well pleased.”

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ(Z)

23 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at (AA)about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) (AB)the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah, 27 the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of (AC)Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Jose, 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 Jonan, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of (AD)Nathan, (AE)the son of David, 32 (AF)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, (AG)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 (AH)the son of Cainan, the son of (AI)Arphaxad, (AJ)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 Cainan, 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, (AK)the son of God.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 3:2 NU, M in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas
  2. Luke 3:7 Offspring
  3. Luke 3:14 Lit. shake down for money
  4. Luke 3:19 NU brother’s wife

In the shenat chamesh esreh (15th year) of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governing Yehudah, when Herod [Antipas] was tetrarch of the Galil, and when Philip the brother of Herod Antipas was tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis, and at the same time Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,

And when, during the same historical period, Anan and Caiapha were Kohanim Gedolim, then it was that the dvar Hashem came to [the kohen-navi] Yochanan Ben Zecharyah bamidbar (in the wilderness).

And Yochanan went into all the surrounding region of the Yarden preaching a tevilah of teshuva for the selichat avon,

As it has been written in the sefer divrei Yeshayah Hanavi, KOL KOREY BAMIDBAR (A voice of one shouting in the wilderness, YESHAYAH 40:3): Prepare the Derech Hashem (the Way of the L-rd). Make his paths straight!

KOL GEY YINNASE VKHOL HAR VGIVAH YISHPALU (Every valley will be filled in and every mountain and hill will be leveled off), VHAYAH HEAKOV LEMISHOR VHARKHASIM LVIKAH (The crooked will be made straight, the rough paths made into smooth roads);

VRAU CHOL BASAR ES YESHUAT ELOHEINU (and all basar will see the salvation of our G-d). [YESHAYAH 40:3-5; TEHILLIM 98:2; YESHAYAH 42:16; 52:10]

Therefore, Yochanan was saying to the multitudes coming out to have the mikveh mayim’s tevilah supervised by him, You banim of nachashim, who warned you to flee from the charon af [Hashem] habah (the coming burning wrath of Hashem)?

Therefore, produce p’ri tov l’teshuva (fruit worthy of repentance), and do not begin to presume within yourselves, saying, We have the zechut Avot (merit of the Fathers) of Avraham Avinu, for, I say to you, that Hashem is able from these avanim (stones) to raise up banim to Avraham Avinu.

And already the ax is laid at the shoresh haetzim (the root of the trees). Therefore, every etz not producing pri tov is cut down and is thrown into the Eish.

10 And the multitudes were questioning him, saying, What then should we do?

11 And in reply, Yochanan was saying to them, Let the one having two kaftans share with the one having none, and let the one having okhel (food) do likewise.

12 Now came also mochesim (tax collectors) to receive the tevilah of teshuva, and they said to him, Rabbi, what should we do?

13 And Yochanan said to them, Collect nothing more than the amount having been commanded you.

14 And chaiyalim (soldiers) as well were asking him, What should we do also? And Yochanan said to them, Extort kesef from no one, and let there be no lashon hora, and be satisfied with your loin (wages).

15 As the Am [Berit] were filled with expectation, and all were wondering in their levavot (hearts) concerning Yochanan, whether perhaps he might be the Moshiach,

16 Yochanan answered everyone, saying, I give you a tevilah with a mikveh mayim, but Hu HaBah (He Who Comes, i.e., Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach) has more chozek (strength) than me; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will give you a tevilah with the Ruach Hakodesh and with Eish.

17 The winnowing fork is in his hand to clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, but the MOTZ (chaff) he will burn up with an EISH LO TIKHBEH (fire not [ever] extinguished.

18 Therefore, with many other dvarim Yochanan was exhorting them, preaching the Besuras HaGeulah to the Am [Berit].

19 Now Herod the tetrarch, when he was reproved by Yochanan about Herodias, the wife of his brother, and about all reshaim (evil) which he did,

20 Herod added this above all: he locked up Yochanan in the beit hasohar (prison).

21 And it came about while all the Am [Berit] were receiving the tevilah, and when Yehoshua also had been given the tevilah and was davening, Shomayim was opened,

22 And the Ruach Hakodesh descended in demut gashmit as a yonah upon Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach; and then came a bat kol out of Shomayim, saying, ATAH BNI AHUVI ASHER BCHA CHAFATSTI

23 And Yehoshua himself was about shaloshim shanah, at the beginning of his avodas kodesh ministry, being the ben (as it was being thought of Yosef) ben Eli,

24 Ben Mattat, ben Levi, ben Malki, ben Yannai, ben Yosef,

25 Ben Mattityahu, ben Amotz, ben Nachum, ben Chesli, ben Naggai,

26 Ben Machat, ben Mattityahu, ben Shimi, ben Yosef, ben Yodah,

27 ben Yochanan, ben Reisha, ben Zerubavel, ben Shealtiel, ben Neri,

28 Ben Malki, ben Addi, ben Kosam, ben Elmadan, ben Er

29 Ben Yehoshua, ben Eliezer, ben Yorim, ben Mattat, ben Levi,

30 Ben Shimon, ben Yehudah, ben Yosef, ben Yonam, ben Elyakim,

31 Ben Malah, ben Manah, ben Mattatah, ben Natan, ben Dovid,

32 Ben Yishai, ben Oved, ben Boaz, ben Salmon, ben Nachshon,

33 ben Amminadav, ben Admin, ben Arni, ben Chetzron, ben Peretz, ben Yehudah,

34 Ben Yaakov, ben Yitzchak, ben Avraham, ben Terach, ben Nachor,

35 ben Serug, ben Reu, ben Peleg, ben Ever, ben Shelah,

36 Ben Keinan, ben Arpachshad, ben Shem, ben Noach, ben Lemekh,

37 Ben Metushelach, ben Chanoch, ben Yered, ben Mahalalel, ben Keinan,

38 Ben Enosh, ben Shet, ben Adam, ben HaElohim.