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

¹ THEN in those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the desert country of Judea, ² and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is nigh. ³ For this is the person spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, "The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths strait."

⁴ Now this John had his garment made of camel's hair, and a girdle of leather about his loins, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the regions about Jordan, ⁶ and were baptized by him in Jordan, on making confession of their sins.

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, O ye broods of vipers! who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Produce then worthy fruits of repentance: ⁹ and think not to say in yourselves, We have Abraham for our father: for I say unto you, that God is able out of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰ And now also the ax is laid to the root of the trees: every tree therefore which produceth not good fruit, is hewing down, and casting into the fire.

¹¹ I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire: ¹² whose winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will collect the wheat into his granary; but the chaff will he burn up with fire unquenchable.

¹ THE beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; ² as it is written in the prophets; "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, he shall prepare thy way before thee. ³ The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths strait."

⁴ John was baptising in the wilderness, and preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. ⁵ And all the country of Judea went out to him, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptised by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶ Now John was clothed with a camel's hair garment, and a girdle of leather about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And he preached, saying, One mightier than I is coming after me, the string of whose shoes I am not worthy, stooping down, to unloose. ⁸ I indeed baptise you with water; but he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost.

¹ NOW in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene: ² when Annas and Caiaphas were high-priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness; ³ and he came into all the country on the confines of Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; ⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths strait: ⁵ every valley shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be levelled, and the crooked ways made strait, and the rough roads smooth: ⁶ and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

⁷ He said, therefore, to the multitudes who came out to be baptised by him, Ye broods of vipers, who hath warned you to fly from the approaching wrath? ⁸ Produce then fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say in yourselves, We have a father, even Abraham; for I say unto you, That God is able out of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ⁹ But now is the ax laid even to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that produceth 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 answering said to them, He that hath two coats, let him give to him that hath none; and he that hath provisions, let him do in like manner.

¹² Then came also the farmers of the taxes to be baptised, and they said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

¹³ He said unto them, Exact nothing more than is appointed for you.

¹⁴ And the military men also asked him, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Extort nothing by force; nor turn informers; and be content with your pay.

¹⁵ Now when the people were in expectation, and many reasoned in their hearts respecting John, whether he were the Messiah, ¹⁶ John addressed himself to them all, saying, I indeed baptise you with water; but one mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie: he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with fire; ¹⁷ whose winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor, and collect the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. ¹⁸ Thus in many and various discourses exhorting them, he preached the glad tidings of the gospel to the people. ¹⁹ Now Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him, on account of Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the other wicked actions which he had done, ²⁰ added this also to all the rest, and shut up John in prison.