1
It was during those days thatYochanan the Immerser arrived in the desert ofY'hudah and began proclaiming the message,
2
"Turn from your sins to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!"
3
This is the man Yesha`yahu was talking about when he said, "The voice of someone crying out: `In the desert prepare the way of ADONAI! Make straight paths for him!'"
4
Yochanan wore clothes of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5
People went out to him from Yerushalayim, from all Y'hudah, and from the whole region around the Yarden.
6
Confessing their sins, they were immersed by him in the Yarden River.
7
But when Yochanan saw many of the P'rushim and Tz'dukim coming to be immersed by him, he said to them, "You snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming punishment?
8
If you have really turned from your sins to God, produce fruit that will prove it!
9
And don't suppose you can comfort yourselves by saying, `Avraham is our father'! For I tell you that God can raise up for Avraham sons from these stones!
10
Already the axe is at the root of the trees, ready to strike; every tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown in the fire!
11
It's true that I am immersing you in water so that you might turn from sin to God; but the one coming after me is more powerful than I -- I'm not worthy even to carry his sandals -- and he will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh and in fire.
12
He has with him his winnowing fork; and he will clear out his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn but burning up the straw with unquenchable fire!"