Matthew 3

The Preaching of John the Baptist

1Now 1in those days 2John the Baptist 3came, 4preaching in the 5wilderness of Judea, saying, 2“6Repent, for 7the kingdom of heaven 8is at hand.” 3For this is the 9one referred to 10by Isaiah the prophet when he said, “11The voice of one 12crying in the wilderness, ‘13Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!’” 4Now John himself had 1415a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was 16locusts and wild honey. 5Then Jerusalem 17was going out to him, and all Judea and all 18the district around the Jordan; 6and they were being 19baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

7But when he saw many of the 20Pharisees and 21Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You 22brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from 23the wrath to come? 824Therefore bear fruit 25in keeping with repentance; 9and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘26We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 10The 27axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore 28every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11“As for me, 29I baptize you 30with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; 31He will baptize you 32with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His 33winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will 34gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the 35chaff with 36unquenchable fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus

1337Then Jesus arrived 38from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. 14But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” 15But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us 39to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him. 16After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and 4041he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and 42lighting on Him, 17and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “43This is 44My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”