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

¹ In those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea. ² And saying, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ³ For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

⁴ And this John had his raiment of camels hair, and a leathern 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 round about Jordan, ⁶ And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their Sins.

⁷ But seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, Ye serpents, ye brood of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: ⁹ And say not within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father; for I say to you, God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰ But even the axe already lieth at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire.

¹¹ I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I; whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: ¹² Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather the wheat into the garner, but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

¹ The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God: As it is written in the prophets, ² Behold I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee. ³ The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

⁴ John baptized in the wilderness and preached the baptism of repentance, for the remission of sins. ⁵ And there went out to him all the land of Judea, and all they of Jerusalem, and were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶ And John was clothed with camels hair, and with a leathern girdle about his loins, and ate locusts and wild honey, ⁷ And proclaimed, saying, There cometh after me one mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. ⁸ I indeed have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

¹ Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, ² Annas being the high priest and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. ³ And he came into all the country about 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 aloud in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. ⁵ Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth: And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. ⁶ Then said he to the multitudes,

⁷ that came forth to be baptized of him, Ye brood of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance; and say not within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father; for I say to you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ⁹ And now also the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

¹⁰ And the multitude asked him, saying, What then shall we do? He answering saith to them,

¹¹ He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

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

¹³ And he said to them, Exact no more than what is appointed you.

¹⁴ And the soldiers likewise asked him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said to them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your pay.

¹⁵ And as the people were in expectation, and all mused in their hearts of John, ¹⁶ whether he were not the Christ, John answered saying to them all, I indeed baptize you with water, but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: ¹⁷ Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. ¹⁸ And many other things in his exhortation preached he to the people. ¹⁹ But Herod the tetrarch being reproved by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and concerning all the evils which Herod had done, Added also this above all, ²⁰ that he shut up John in prison.