The Preaching of John the Baptist

3 Now ^(A)in those days ^(B)John the Baptist *^[a]came, ^[b]preaching in the ^(C)wilderness of Judea, saying, ² “^(D)Repent, for ^(E)the kingdom of heaven ^[c]is at hand.” ³ For this is the ^(F)one referred to ^[d]by Isaiah the prophet when he said,

⁴ Now John himself had ^[f](I)a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was ^(J)locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then Jerusalem ^(K)was going out to him, and all Judea and all ^(L)the district around the Jordan; ⁶ and they were being ^(M)baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

⁷ But when he saw many of the ^(N)Pharisees and ^(O)Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You ^(P)brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from ^(Q)the wrath to come? ^8 (R)Therefore bear fruit ^(S)in keeping with repentance; ⁹ and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘^(T)We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰ The ^(U)axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore ^(V)every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹¹ “As for me, ^(W)I baptize you ^[g]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 ^[h]with the Holy Spirit and fire.

² in the high priesthood of ^(A)Annas and ^(B)Caiaphas, ^(C)the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. ³ And he came into all ^(D)the district 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,

⁷ So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “^(I)You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and ^(J)do not begin to say ^[c]to yourselves, ‘^(K)We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. ⁹ Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so ^(L)every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰ And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “^(M)Then what shall we do?” ¹¹ And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to ^(N)share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” ¹² And some ^(O)tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” ¹³ And he said to them, “^[d]Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” ¹⁴ 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 ^(P)accuse anyone falsely, and ^(Q)be content with your wages.”

¹⁵ Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were ^[e]wondering in their hearts about John, ^(R)as to whether he was ^[f]the Christ, ^16 (S)John 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 ^[g]with the Holy Spirit and fire.