John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
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and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
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This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ”
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John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
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People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.
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Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
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But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
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Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
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And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
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The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.