Matthew 3:2-12

2“1Repent, for 2the kingdom of heaven 3is at hand.” 3For this is the 4one referred to 5by Isaiah the prophet when he said, “6The voice of one 7crying in the wilderness, ‘8Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!’” 4Now John himself had 910a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was 11locusts and wild honey. 5Then Jerusalem 12was going out to him, and all Judea and all 13the district around the Jordan; 6and they were being 14baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

7But when he saw many of the 15Pharisees and 16Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You 17brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from 18the wrath to come? 819Therefore bear fruit 20in keeping with repentance; 9and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘21We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 10The 22axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore 23every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11“As for me, 24I baptize you 25with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; 26He will baptize you 27with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His 28winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will 29gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the 30chaff with 31unquenchable fire.”