Luke 3:3–10

³And he came into all ^athe district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;

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

“^aThe voice of one crying in the wilderness,

‘Make ready the way of the Lord,

Make His paths straight.

⁵‘^aEvery ravine will be filled,

And every mountain and hill will be ¹brought low;

The crooked will become straight,

And the rough roads smooth;

^6aAnd all ¹flesh will ^bsee the salvation of God.’ ”

⁷So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “^aYou brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

⁸“Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and ^ado not begin to say ¹to yourselves, ‘^bWe have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

⁹“Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so ^aevery tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “^aThen what shall we do?”