Matthew 3:2-12

2“1Repent, for 2the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3For this is the 3one referred to 4by Isaiah the prophet when he said, “5The voice of one 6calling 7out in the wilderness, ‘8Prepare 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. 5At that time Jerusalem 12was going out to him, and all Judea and all 13the region 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 17baptism, he said to them, “You 1819offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from 20the wrath to come? 821Therefore produce fruit 22consistent with repentance; 9and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘23We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham. 10And the 24axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, 25every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.

11“As for me, 26I baptize you 27with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; 28He will baptize you 29with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His 30winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will 31gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the 32chaff with 33unquenchable fire.”