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Annas and Caiaphas being chief priests -- there came a word of God unto John the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness,
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and he came to all the region round the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of reformation -- to remission of sins,
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as it hath been written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, `A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, straight make ye His paths;
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every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straightness, and the rough become smooth ways;
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and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'
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Then said he to the multitudes coming forth to be baptised by him, `Brood of vipers! who did prompt you to flee from the coming wrath?
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make, therefore, fruits worthy of the reformation, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have a father -- Abraham; for I say to you, that God is able out of these stones to raise children to Abraham;
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and already also the axe unto the root of the trees is laid, every tree, therefore, not making good fruit is cut down, and to fire it is cast.'
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And the multitudes were questioning him, saying, `What, then, shall we do?'
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and he answering saith to them, `He having two coats -- let him impart to him having none, and he having victuals -- in like manner let him do.'
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And there came also tax-gatherers to be baptised, and they said unto him, `Teacher, what shall we do?'