Chapter 3

John the Baptist Preaches

1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when aPontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and bHerod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,

2 in the high priesthood of aAnnas and bCaiaphas, cthe word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

3 And he came into all athe district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;

4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“aThe voice of one crying in the wilderness,

‘Make ready the way of the Lord,

Make His paths straight.

5 ‘aEvery ravine will be filled,

And every mountain and hill will be 1brought low;

The crooked will become straight,

And the rough roads smooth;

6 aAnd all 1flesh will bsee the salvation of God.’ ”

7 So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “aYou brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 “Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and ado not begin to say 1to yourselves, ‘bWe have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

9 “Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so aevery tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10 And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “aThen what shall we do?”

11 And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to ashare with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.”

12 And some atax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”

13 And he said to them, “1Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.”

14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or aaccuse anyone falsely, and bbe content with your wages.”

15 Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were 1wondering in their hearts about John, aas to whether he was 2the Christ,

16 aJohn answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you 1with the Holy Spirit and fire.

17 “His awinnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with bunquenchable fire.”

18 So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people.

19 But when aHerod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of aHerodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the wicked things which bHerod had done,

20 Herod also added this to them all: ahe locked John up in prison.

Jesus Is Baptized

21 aNow when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was bpraying, heaven was opened,

22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “aYou are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

Genealogy of Jesus

23 aWhen He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, 1as was supposed, the son of bJoseph, 2the son of 3Eli,

24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of 1Hesli, the son of Naggai,

26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, athe son of Zerubbabel, the son of 1Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

29 the son of 1Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

30 the son of Simeon, the son of 1Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

32 athe son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of 1Salmon, the son of 2Nahshon,

33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of 1Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, athe son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

35 the son of Serug, the son of 1Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of 2Heber, the son of Shelah,

36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, athe son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,

38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.