Luke 3:1-22

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 Zechariah, in the wilderness. 3And he came into all 6the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance 7for the forgiveness of sins; 4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “8The voice of one calling 9out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!510Every ravine will be filled, And every mountain and hill will be lowered; The crooked will become straight, And the rough roads smooth;611And all 12flesh will 13see the salvation of God!’”

7So he was saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “14You 15offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Therefore produce fruits that are consistent with repentance, and 16do not start saying 17to yourselves, ‘18We have Abraham as our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children for Abraham. 9But indeed the axe is already being laid at the root of the trees; so 19every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “20Then what are we to do?” 11And he would answer and say to them, “The one who has two 21tunics is to 22share with the one who has none; and the one who has food is to do likewise.” 12Now even 23tax collectors came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what are we to do?” 13And he said to them, “24Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” 14And soldiers also were questioning him, saying, “What are we to do, we as well?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone, nor 2526harass anyone, and 27be content with your wages.”

15Now while the people were in a state of expectation and they all were thinking carefully in their hearts about John, 28whether he himself perhaps was the 29Christ, 1630John responded to them all, saying, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but He is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the straps of His sandals; He will baptize you 31with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His 32winnowing 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 33unquenchable fire.”

18So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people. 19But when 34Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him regarding 35Herodias, his brother’s wife, and regarding all the evil things which 36Herod had done, 20Herod also added this to them all: 37he locked John up in prison.

2138Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized, and while He was 39praying, heaven was opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven: “40You are My beloved Son, in You I am well pleased.”