John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 1In those days
2John the Baptist came preaching in
3the wilderness of Judea,
2
4"Repent, for
5the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
3
For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
6"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
7'Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'"
4
Now John wore
8a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was
9locusts and
10wild honey.
5
Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him,
6
and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan,
11confessing their sins.
7
But when he saw many of
12the Pharisees and
13Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them,
14"You brood of
15vipers! Who warned you to flee from
16the wrath to come?
8
Bear fruit
17in keeping with repentance.
9
And do not presume to say to yourselves,
18'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from
19these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
10
Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees.
20Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11
21"I baptize you with water
22for repentance, but
23he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you
24with the Holy Spirit and
25fire.