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

¹ In those days comes John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ² saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand. ³ This is the one, who is spoken of by Isaiah the prophet saying, The voice of one roaring in the wilderness; Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight His paths.

⁴ And the same John had his raiment from camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the region about the Jordan, were coming out to him, ⁶ and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷ And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them; O generations of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Therefore bring forth fruit worthy of repentance; ⁹ and think not to say among yourselves; We have Abraham, our father; for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. ¹⁰ But already the ax is laid to the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.

¹¹ I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but there is One coming after me more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry; He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire. ¹² Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purify His threshing-floor, and gather His wheat into the garner, and will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

¹ The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ² As has been written in the prophets; Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who will prepare thy way before thee; ³ the voice of one roaring in the wilderness; Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.

⁴ John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness the baptism of repentance unto the remission of sins. ⁵ And all the Judean country and the Jerusalemites were going out unto him, and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶ And John was clothed with camel's hair and a leathern girdle about his loins, and eating locusts and wild honey; ⁷ And he proclaimed, saying, I indeed baptized you with water; but One cometh after me more powerful than I; the latchet of His sandals I am not worthy, having stooped down, to loose, ⁸ and He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

¹ And in the fifteenth year in the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother, tetrarch of Ituria and the Trachonitis country, and Lusanius tetrarch of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas ² and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. ³ And he came into all the region round about the Jordan preaching the baptism of repentance unto the remissions of sins, ⁴ as has been written in the book of Isaiah the prophet, saying; The voice of one roaring in the wilderness; Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight His paths. ⁵ Every valley shall be filled up and every mountain and hill shall be cut down; and the crooked places shall be straight and the rough ways smooth. ⁶ And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

⁷ Then he said unto the multitudes coming out to be baptized by him; O generations of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say among yourselves; We have Abraham our father. ⁹ But truly the ax is laid to the root of the trees; Therefore every tree not producing good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

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

¹¹ And responding he says to them, Let the one having two coats, give to him having none, and let the one having food do likewise.

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

¹³ And he said to them, Exact no more than that which has been appointed unto you.

¹⁴ And the soldiers were asking him saying; And what shall we do? And he said to them; Oppress no one, neither defraud; and be content with your wages.

¹⁵ And the people waiting and all reasoning in their hearts concerning John, lest he might be the Christ. ¹⁶ John responded to all, saying; I indeed baptize you with water; but there cometh One more powerful than I, the latchet of His sandals I am not worthy to loose; He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire. ¹⁷ Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purify His threshing-floor, and gather the wheat into His garner, and will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. ¹⁸ Then indeed exhorting them as to many other things he continued to preach the gospel to the people. ¹⁹ And Herod the tetrarch, being convicted by him concerning Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, and concerning the wickedness which Herod did, ²⁰ added also this to all, and shut up John in prison.