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

¹ AND in those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, ² Change your minds, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. ³ For this is he that was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying; A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

⁴ And this John had his clothes of camel's hair, and a leather girdle about his loins, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region about the Jordan, ⁶ and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷ And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come for the baptism, he said to them; Offspring of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruit, therefore, worthy of a change of mind; ⁹ and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for a father; for I tell you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham; ¹⁰ and already the axe lies at the root of the trees; every tree, therefore, which bears not good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.

¹¹ I indeed baptize you with water to a change of mind; but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not fit to bear; he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and fire; ¹² whose winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clean his threshing floor, and gather his wheat into the storehouse; but the chaff he will burn with an inextinguishable fire.

¹ THE beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, ² as it is written in Isaiah the prophet; Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way. ³ A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight.

⁴ John baptized in the wilderness, preaching the baptism of a change of mind for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And all the country of Judea and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶ And John was clothed with camel's hairs and a leather girdle about his loins, and he eat locusts and wild honey, ⁷ and preached, saying, After me comes one mightier than I, the strings of whose shoes I am not fit to stoop down and untie; ⁸ I have baptized you with water, but he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

¹ AND in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being procurator of Judea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother tetrarch of Ituria and the country of Trachonitis, and Lysanias being tetrarch of Abilene, ² under the chief priest Annas, and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zachariah, in the wilderness. ³ And he went into all the region about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of a change of mind for the forgiveness of sins; ⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet; A voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. ⁵ Every ravine shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth; ⁶ and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

⁷ Then John said to the multitudes who went out to be baptized by him, Offspring of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruits, therefore, worthy of a change of mind. And say not within yourselves, We have Abraham for a father; for I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ⁹ And already also the axe lies at the root of the trees; every tree therefore which bears not good fruit, is cut down and cast into the fire.

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

¹¹ And he answered and said to them, Let him that has two coats give to him that has none; and let him that has food do the same.

¹² And publicans, also, came to be baptized, and said to him, Teacher, what shall we do?

¹³ And he said to them, Do nothing more than is appointed for you.

¹⁴ And the soldiers asked him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said to them, Oppress, and falsely accuse, no one; and be contented with your wages.

¹⁵ And the people being in expectation, and all doubting in their minds concerning John, whether he was the Christ, ¹⁶ John answered all, saying, I indeed baptize you with water, but a mightier than I is coming, the strings of whose shoes I am not fit to untie; he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clean his threshing floor, and gather the wheat into his storehouse; but the chaff he will burn with an inextinguishable fire. ¹⁸ With many other exhortations, also, he preached the good news to the people. ¹⁹ But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him on account of Herodias his brother's wife and for all the evil deeds which Herod had done, ²⁰ added also this to all, and shut up John in prison.