Luke 3:1-9

The Messiah's Herald

1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,^[a] 14-37 while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch^[b] of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturea^[c] and Trachonitis,^[d] and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,^[e]

2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, God's word came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

3 He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance^[f] for the forgiveness of sins,

4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: "Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight!

5 Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low; ^[g] the crooked will become straight, the rough ways smooth,

6 and everyone ^[h] will see the salvation of God." ^[i]

7 He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

8 Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don't start saying to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

9 Even now the ax is ready to strike^[j] the root of the trees! Therefore every tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."