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 has come near.” 3For this is the 8one referred to 9by Isaiah the prophet when he said, “10The voice of one 11calling 12out in the wilderness, ‘13Prepare 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. 5At that time Jerusalem 17was going out to him, and all Judea and all 18the region 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 22baptism, he said to them, “You 2324offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from 25the wrath to come? 826Therefore produce fruit 27consistent with repentance; 9and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘28We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham. 10And the 29axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, 30every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.

11“As for me, 31I baptize you 32with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; 33He will baptize you 34with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His 35winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will 36gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the 37chaff with 38unquenchable fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus

1339Then Jesus arrived 40from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him. 14But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have the need to be baptized by You, and yet You are coming to me?” 15But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us 41to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. 16After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and 4243he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and 44settling on Him, 17and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “45This is 46My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”