John the Baptist Prepares the Way
(Matt. 3:1–6; Mark 1:2–6; John 1:19–23)
1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
23:2 NU, M in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphaswhile Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
3And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,
4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.
5Every valley shall be filled
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth;
6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”
John Preaches to the People
(Matt. 3:7–12; Mark 1:7, 8; John 1:24–28)
7Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood3:7 Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
9And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”
11He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”
12Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”
13And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”
14Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?”
So he said to them, “Do not 3:14 Lit. shake down for moneyintimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
15Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not,
16John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
17His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.
19But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his 3:19 NU brother’s wifebrother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
20also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.
John Baptizes Jesus
(Matt. 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; John 1:29–34)
21When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.
22And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
(Gen. 5:1–32; 11:10–26; Ruth 4:18–22; 1 Chr. 1:1–4, 24–27, 34; 2:1–15; Matt. 1:2–16)
23Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,
27the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan,
New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
