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

¹ In those days came John the Baptist preaching in the desert of Judea; ² "Repent," said he, "for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." ³ This John it was of whom it was said through Isaiah, the prophet, The voice of one who cries aloud in the desert, "Prepare a way for the Lord, Make the paths straight for him."

⁴ This 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 began to go out to him, and all Judea, and the whole neighborhood of the Jordan, ⁶ and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷ But when John saw that many of the Pharisees and Sadducees were coming for baptism, he said: "O brood of vipers! Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Then bring forth fruit worthy of repentance. ⁹ And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father'?? tell you that out of these very stones God is able to raise up descendants for Abraham. ¹⁰ And already the axe is lying at the roots of the trees. Any tree, therefore, that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.

¹¹ I indeed am baptizing you in water, unto repentance; but One is coming after me, mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire. ¹² His winnowing-fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse the threshing-floor. He will store his wheat in the granary, but will burn up the chaff in unquenchable fire."

¹ Beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; ² even as it is written in the prophet Isaiah, Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face to prepare your way. ³ The voice of one crying aloud. In the desert make ready a road for the Lord. Make his paths straight.

⁴ In the desert came John who baptized, and preached a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; ⁵ and all the land of Judea, and all the people of Jerusalem, kept going out to him, and were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins. ⁶ And John was clothed with camel's hair, and he had a leather girdle round his loins, and he ate locusts, and "honey of the wood." ⁷ He made proclamation. "There is One mightier than I coming after me, and I am not worthy to stoop down and unfasten his sandal strap; ⁸ I have baptized you in water, but he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit."

¹ Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip, tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias, tetrarch of Abilene; ² during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zachariah, in the Desert. ³ And John went into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. ⁴ As it is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah. The voice of one crying in the desert, Prepare the way for God, make straight paths for him. ⁵ Every ravine shall be filled up, Every hill and mountain shall be laid low, The crooked shall be made straight, And the rough roads smooth; ⁶ And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

⁷ So John used to say to the crowd of those who were going out to be baptized by him. "You breed of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Then bring forth fruit befitting your penitence, and do not begin to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father." I tell you that God is able to raise up sons to Abraham out of these stones. ⁹ And now truly the axe is already laid at the root of the trees. So every tree which is not bearing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

¹⁰ And the crowd began to ask him questions. "What shall we do then?" they asked. In reply he said to them.

¹¹ "If you have two shirts share with him who has none; and let him who has food do the same."

¹² There came to him publicans also to be baptized, and they said to him, "Master, what must we do?"

¹³ And he said to them, "Exact no more than the sum allowed you."

¹⁴ The soldiers also repeatedly questioned him, saying, "And we, what shall we do?" "Do not intimidate any one," he replied, "nor lay false charges, and be content with your pay."

¹⁵ And while the people were in expectation, and all men were debating in their hearts about John, ¹⁶ whether perhaps he were the Christ, John answered, saying to all of them. "I indeed am baptizing you in water, but One is coming after me, mightier than I, whose shoe-latchet I am not worthy to unloose. He shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and in fire. ¹⁷ He has his fan in his hand to cleanse his threshing-floor thoroughly, and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, but the chaff will he burn with unquenchable fire." ¹⁸ With many other exhortations then John declared the gospel to the people; ¹⁹ but Herod, the Tetrarch, when reproved by him because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and because of all the wicked deeds that he had done, ²⁰ added yet this above them all that he shut up John in prison.