²during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,^k the word of God came to John^l son of Zechariah^m in the wilderness. ³He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.ⁿ ⁴As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for him.

⁵Every valley shall be filled in,

every mountain and hill made low.

The crooked roads shall become straight,

the rough ways smooth.

⁶And all people will see God’s salvation.’ ”^a^o

⁷John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers!^p Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^q ⁸Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^r For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ⁹The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”^s

¹⁰“What should we do then?”^t the crowd asked.

Read in Logos

Luke 3:9: Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire…

Footnotes

a Isaiah 40:3–5

Cross references

kSee Mt 26:3
lSee Mt 3:1
m Lk 1:13
nver 16; See Mk 1:4
o Ps 98:2; Isa 40:3–5; 42:16; 52:10; Lk 2:30
p Mt 12:34; 23:33
qSee Ro 1:18
r Isa 51:2; Lk 19:9; Jn 8:33, 39; Ac 13:26; Ro 4:1, 11, 12, 16, 17; 9:7, 8; Gal 3:7
sSee Mt 3:10
tver 12, 14; Ac 2:37; 16:30