Luke 3:2–19

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 4}As 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.’ ”^ao

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 8}Produce 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.

¹¹John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”^u

¹²Even tax collectors came to be baptized.^v “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

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

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

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely^x—be content with your pay.”

¹⁵The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John^y might possibly be the Messiah.^{z 16}John answered them all, “I baptize you with^b 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 with^c the Holy Spirit and fire.^{b 17}His winnowing fork^c 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.

¹⁹But when John rebuked Herod^e the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done,