Luke 3:2–19

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.

¹¹John answered, “If you have extra clothes, you should share with those who have none. And if you have extra food, you should do the same.”

¹²Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

¹³“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” John told them.

¹⁴Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

John replied, “Don’t force people to give you money. Don’t bring false charges against people. Be happy with your pay.”

¹⁵The people were waiting. They were expecting something. They were all wondering in their hearts if John might be the Christ.

¹⁶John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But One who is more powerful than I am will come. I’m not good enough to untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷His pitchfork is in his hand to toss the straw away from his threshing floor. He will gather the wheat into his storeroom. But he will burn up the husks with fire that can’t be put out.”

¹⁸John said many other things to warn the people. He also preached the good news to them.

¹⁹But John found fault with Herod, the ruler of Galilee, because of Herodias. She was the wife of Herod’s brother. John also spoke strongly to Herod about all the other evil things he had done.