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

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

⁴ Now John wore a garment of camel's hair, and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan went out to him, ⁶ and confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruit worthy of repentance, ⁹ and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. ¹⁰ Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹¹ I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up 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 your face, who will prepare your way"; ³ "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'"

⁴ John came baptizing in the wilderness, and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And all the land of Judea, and the people from Jerusalem, went out to him and they were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. ⁶ Now John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And he preached, saying, "After me comes One who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸ I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

¹ Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, 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, ² during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³ And he went into all the region 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, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. ⁵ Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; ⁶ and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

⁷ Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. ⁹ And even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

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

¹¹ And he answered them, "He who has two tunics, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."

¹² Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"

¹³ And he said to them, "Collect no more than is appointed you."

¹⁴ Likewise the soldiers asked him, "And what shall we do?" So he said to them, "Rob no one by violence or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."

¹⁵ As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ, ¹⁶ John answered them all, "I baptize you with water; but one mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." ¹⁸ And with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. ¹⁹ But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the other evil things Herod had done, ²⁰ added this to them all, that he shut up John in prison.