4 Now John had a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity of the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.t

7 When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadduceesu coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?a 8 Therefore produce fruitb consistent withA repentance. 9 And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’c For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.d

11 “I baptize you withB water for repentance,e but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to removeC his sandals. He himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.f 12 His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn. But the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.”g