Luke 3:1-18

1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when 1Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and 2Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2in the high priesthood of 3Annas and 4Caiaphas, 5the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. 3And he came into all 6the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; 4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “7The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight.58Every ravine will be filled, And every mountain and hill will be 9brought low; The crooked will become straight, And the rough roads smooth;610And all 11flesh will 12see the salvation of God.’”

7So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “13You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and 14do not begin to say 15to yourselves, ‘16We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 9Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so 17every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “18Then what shall we do?” 11And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to 19share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” 12And some 20tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13And he said to them, “21Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” 14Some 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 22accuse anyone falsely, and 23be content with your wages.”

15Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were 24wondering in their hearts about John, 25as to whether he was 26the Christ, 1627John 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 28with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His 29winnowing 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 30unquenchable fire.”

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