Matthew 3:1–11

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3:1–12pp—Mk 1:3–8; Lk 3:2–17

3In those days John the Baptist^z came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea ²and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven^a has come near.” ³This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for him.’ ”^ab

⁴John’s^c clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist.^d His food was locusts^e and wild honey. ⁵People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. ⁶Confessing their sins, they were baptized^f by him in the Jordan River.

⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers!^g Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{h 8}Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.^{i 9}And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^j I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰The 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.^k

¹¹“I baptize you with^b water for repentance.^l But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with^c the Holy Spirit^m and fire.ⁿ