10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. (A)Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 (B)I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. (C)He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit [a]and fire. 12 (D)His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will (E)burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 3:11 M omits and fire

10 And the (A)axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, (B)every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “As for me, (C)I baptize you [a]with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; (D)He will baptize you [b]with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His (E)winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will (F)gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the (G)chaff with (H)unquenchable fire.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 3:11 The Gr here can be translated in, with, or by
  2. Matthew 3:11 The Gr here can be translated in, with, or by

10 And already the axe [of God’s judgment] is [a]swinging toward the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “As for me, I baptize you [b]with water because of [your] repentance [that is, because you are willing to change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret your sin and live a changed life], but He (the Messiah) who is coming after me is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to remove [even as His slave]; He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and [you who remain unrepentant] with [c]fire (judgment).(A) 12 His [d]winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear out His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat (believers) into His barn (kingdom), but He will burn up the chaff (the unrepentant) with unquenchable fire.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 3:10 Lit laid at.
  2. Matthew 3:11 The Greek here can be translated in, with, or by.
  3. Matthew 3:11 Another view of “fire” purports that the text refers to the fiery baptism of the Holy Spirit, not judgment. According to this view the fire indicates that the believer is purified as in the refining of gold. Fire burns up the impurities and the gold (the believer) survives (cf 1 Cor 3:12, 13; James 1:3). The Holy Spirit promised here has been associated with Pentecost, purification, testing, and judgment. Each person who accepts Jesus is filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5-8).
  4. Matthew 3:12 A tool roughly resembling a pitchfork, used to separate grains of wheat from the chaff by throwing the wheat into the air, and allowing the wind to blow away the lighter chaff.

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.(A)

11 “I baptize you with[a] water for repentance.(B) But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with[b] the Holy Spirit(C) and fire.(D) 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.”(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 3:11 Or in
  2. Matthew 3:11 Or in

10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

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