“As for me, I baptize you with water because of [your] repentance [that is, because you are willing to change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret your sin and live a changed life], but He (the Messiah) who is coming after me is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to remove [even as His slave]; He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and [you who remain unrepentant] with fire (judgment).

From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life], for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

And if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw [it] from you! For it is better for you that one of your members be destroyed than your whole body be thrown into hell.

And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw [it] from you! For it is better for you that one of your limbs be destroyed than your whole body go into hell.

Observe intently, the birds of the heaven, - that they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns, and yet, your heavenly Father, feedeth, them: Are no, ye, much better than, they?

Are ye not much better than they? And which of you by taking thought can add to his age the smallest measure?

Now if that is the way God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and thrown into an oven tomorrow, won't he clothe you much better you who have little faith?

Truly I say to you, It will be better for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of God's judging than for that town.

No pupil is better than his teacher, and no slave is better than his master.

Have no fear of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. You had better be afraid of one who can destroy both soul and body in the pit.

Fear not therefore; ye are better than many sparrows.

The one who has ears had better listen!

But I say to you, It will be better for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judging, than for you.

But I say to you that it will be better for the land of Sodom in the day of judging, than for you.

How much better then is a man than a sheep! So that it is lawful to do well on the sabbath.

The one who has ears had better listen!"

Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The one who has ears had better listen!

But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him that {a large millstone} be hung on his neck and he be drowned in the depths of the sea.

And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw [it] from you! It is better for you to enter into life crippled or lame than, having two hands or two feet, to be thrown into the eternal fire!

And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw [it] from you! It is better for you to enter into life one-eyed than, having two eyes, to be thrown into fiery hell!

The disciples said to him, "If this is the case of a man with his wife, it would be better not to marry!"

But the sensible replied, 'No, there may not be enough for us and for you. Better go to the dealers and buy for yourselves.'

The Son of Man is going just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if that man had not been born."