- 1
- In those days John the Baptist
came, preaching in the Desert of Judea
- 2
- and saying, "Repent, for
the kingdom of heaven is near."
- 3
- This is he who was spoken of
through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert,
`Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"
- 4
- John's clothes were made of
camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was
locusts and wild honey.
- 5
- People went out to him from
Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.
- 6
- Confessing their sins, they
were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
- 7
- But when he saw many of the
Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them:
"You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
- 8
- Produce fruit in keeping with
repentance.
- 9
- And do not think you can say
to yourselves, `We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these
stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
- 10
- The axe 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.
- 11
- "I baptize you with water
for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I,
whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit and with fire.
- 12
- His winnowing fork is in his
hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the
barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
- 13
- Then Jesus came from Galilee
to the Jordan to be baptized by John.
- 14
- But John tried to deter him,
saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
- 15
- Jesus replied, "Let it be
so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness."
Then John consented.
- 16
- As soon as Jesus was baptized,
he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw
the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.
- 17
- And a voice from heaven said,
"This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28