Luke 3:7–17

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