John the Baptist Prepares the Way
3
For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, 6"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 7'Preparea the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'"
4
Now John wore 8a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was 9locusts and 10wild honey.
5
Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him,
7
But when he saw many of 12the Pharisees and 13Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, 14"You brood of 15vipers! Who warned you to flee from 16the wrath to come?
9
And do not presume to say to yourselves, 18'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from 19these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
10
Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. 20Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11
21"I baptize you with water 22for repentance, but 23he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you 24with the Holy Spirit and 25fire.
12
His 26winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and 27gather his wheat into the barn, 28but the chaff he will burn with 29unquenchable fire."
The Baptism of Jesus
15
But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)