15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if Johny might possibly be the Messiah.z 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you withb water.a But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you withc the Holy Spirit and fire.b 17 His winnowing forkc is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”d 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

19 But when John rebuked Herode the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, 20 Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.f

The Baptism and Genealogy of Jesus

3:21,22pp—Mt 3:13–17; Mk 1:9–11
3:23–38pp—Mt 1:1–17

21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying,g heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on himh in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son,i whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”j