1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,

2in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.

3And he came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance Or with reference tofor the forgiveness of sins;

4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

7So he was saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You Or broodoffspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8Therefore produce fruits that are consistent with repentance, and do not start saying Or amongto yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children for Abraham.

9But indeed the axe is already being laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what are we to do?”

11And he would answer and say to them, “The one who has two A long shirt worn next to the skintunics is to share with the one who has none; and the one who has food is to do likewise.”

12Now even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what are we to do?”

13And he said to them, “Lit DoCollect no more than what you have been ordered to.”

14And soldiers also were questioning him, saying, “What are we to do, we as well?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone, nor Or blackmailharass anyone, and be content with your wages.”

15Now while the people were in a state of expectation and they all were thinking carefully in their hearts about John, whether he himself perhaps was the I.e., MessiahChrist,

16John responded to them all, saying, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but He is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the straps of His sandals; He will baptize you The Gr here can be translated in, with, or bywith the Holy Spirit and fire.

17His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

18So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people.

19But when Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him regarding Herodias, his brother’s wife, and regarding all the evil things which Herod had done,

20Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.

21Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened,

22and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well pleased.”

23When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years old, being, as was commonly held, the son of Joseph, Lit of Eli, and so throughout the genealogythe son of Also spelled HeliEli,

24the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Also spelled EsliHesli, the son of Naggai,

26the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

27the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Gr Salathiel; names of people in the Old Testament are given in their Old Testament form through v 38Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

28the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

29the son of Gr JesusJoshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

30the son of Simeon, the son of Gr JudasJudah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

31the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

32the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Gr SalaSalmon, the son of Gr NaassonNahshon,

33the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Gr ArniRam, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

34the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

35the son of Serug, the son of Gr RagauReu, the son of Peleg, the son of Gr EberHeber, the son of Shelah,

36the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,

38the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.