Matthew 3:1-12 - John The Baptist Begins His Ministry

¹ In those days came John the Immerser, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ² and saying: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ³ For this is he that was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying: The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

⁴ But the same John had his clothing of camel's hair, and a girdle of leather around his loins, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about the Jordan, ⁶ and were immersed by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his immersion, he said to them: Generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the coining wrath? ⁸ Bring forth, therefore, fruit worthy of repentance: ⁹ and think not to say within yourselves, "We have Abraham for our father; for I say to you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰ Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees: therefore, every tree that does not bring forth good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹¹ I immerse you in water, in order to repentance; but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and in fire: ¹² whose winnowing-shovel is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his thrashing-floor, and gather his grain into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

¹ THE beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; ² as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way. ³ The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

⁴ John was immersing in the wilderness, and preaching the immersion of repentance in order to the remission of sins. ⁵ And all the country of Judea and the inhabitants of Jerusalem went out to him, and were all immersed by him in the river Jordan, con fessing their sins. ⁶ And John was clothed with camel's hair, and had a girdle of leather around his loins, and he ate locusts and wild honey: ⁷ and he preached, saying: There comes after me One mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. ⁸ I immerse you in water; but he will immerse you in the Holy Spirit.

¹ In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, ² Annas and Caiaphas being chief priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zachariah, in the wilderness. ³ And he came into all the country about the Jordan, preaching the immersion of repentance in order to the remission of sins; ⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight; ⁵ every ravine shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made level; and the crooked ways shall be made straight; and the rough ways shall be made smooth; ⁶ and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

⁷ Therefore he said to the multitudes that came out to be immersed by him: Generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Bring forth, therefore, fruits worthy of repentance. And begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ⁹ And now also the ax is lying at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not produce good fruit, is cut down and cast into the fire.

¹⁰ And the multitudes asked him, saying: What, then, shall we do?

¹¹ He answered and said to them: He that has two coats, let him give to him that has none; and he that has food, let him do likewise.

¹² And the publicans also came to be immersed, and they said to him: Teacher, what shall we do?

¹³ And he said to them: Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

¹⁴ And soldiers also asked him, saying: And what shall we do? And he said to them: Take nothing from any one by extortion, nor by false accusation, and be content with your pay.

¹⁵ While the people were in suspense, and all were reasoning in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, ¹⁶ John answered them all, saying: I indeed immerse you in water; but there comes One mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to loose; he will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and in fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his thrashing-floor, and gather the grain into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. ¹⁸ With many other exhortations he proclaimed the good news to the people. ¹⁹ But Herod the tetrarch having been reproved by him on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, and for all the wicked deeds which Herod did, ²⁰ added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison.