Luke 3:2–10

²Annas and Caiaphas were high priests. At that time God’s word came to John, son of Zechariah, in the desert. ³He went into all the countryside around the Jordan River. There he preached that people should be baptized and turn away from their sins. Then God would forgive them.

⁴Here is what is written in the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. It says,

“A messenger is calling out in the desert,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord.

Make straight paths for him.

⁵Every valley will be filled in.

Every mountain and hill will be made level.

The crooked roads will become straight.

The rough ways will become smooth.

⁶And everyone will see God’s salvation.’ ”

⁷John spoke to the crowds coming to be baptized by him. He said, “You are like a nest of poisonous snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming of God’s anger? ⁸Produce fruit that shows you have turned away from your sins. And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father.’ I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham even from these stones. ⁹The ax is already lying at the roots of the trees. All the trees that don’t produce good fruit will be cut down. They will be thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰“Then what should we do?” the crowd asked.