Luke 3:1-9

1 Now in the fifteenth year of the government of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother tetrarch of Ituraea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, [the] word of God came upon John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

3 And he came into all the district round the Jordan, preaching [the] baptism of repentance for [the] remission of sins,

4 as it is written in [the] book of [the] words of Esaias the prophet: Voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of [the] Lord, make straight his paths.

5 Every gorge shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked [places] shall become a straight [path], and the rough places smooth ways,

6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

7 He said therefore to the crowds which went out to be baptised by him, Offspring of vipers, who has forewarned you to flee from the coming wrath?

8 Produce therefore fruits worthy of repentance; and begin not to say in yourselves, We have Abraham for [our] father, for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

9 And already also the axe is applied to the root of the trees; every tree therefore not producing good fruit is cut down and cast into [the] fire.

Footnotes

• [a]. Rhema: see John 17.8.
• [b]. Logos: something more than 'words;' see Note to 1Cor. 1.5.
• [c]. Isa. 40.3.
• [d]. Or 'Make ye ready,' as ch. 1.76.
• [e]. See Note l, Matt. 3.10.