Luke 3:1–16

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother tetrarch of Iturea and the country of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilina:

²Under the high priests Anna and Caiphas: the word of the Lord was made unto John, the son of Zachary, in the desert.

³And he came into all the country about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of penance for the remission of sins.

⁴As it was written in the book of the sayings of Isaias the prophet: A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.

⁵Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways plain.

⁶And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

⁷He said therefore to the multitudes that went forth to be baptized by him: Ye offspring of vipers, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come?

⁸Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of penance: and do not begin to say, We have Abraham for our father. For I say unto you that God is able of these stones, to raise up children to Abraham.

⁹For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire.

¹⁰And the people asked him, saying: What then shall we do?

¹¹And he answering, said to them: He that hath two coats, let him give to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do in like manner.

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

¹³But he said to them: Do nothing more than that which is appointed you.

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

¹⁵And as the people were of opinion, and all were thinking in their hearts of John, that perhaps he might be the Christ:

¹⁶John answered, saying unto all: I indeed baptize you with water: but there shall come one mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire;