Matthew 3:2-12

Listen to Matthew 3:2-12

2 ¹“Repent, for ²the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ”

3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, ³“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ⁴‘Prepare^[a] the way of the Lord; make his paths straight. ’”

4 Now John wore ⁵a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was ⁶locusts and ⁷wild 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, ⁸confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of ⁹the Pharisees and ¹⁰Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ¹¹“You brood of ¹²vipers! Who warned you to flee from ¹³the wrath to come?

8 Bear fruit ¹⁴in keeping with repentance.

9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ¹⁵‘We have Abraham as our father, ’ for I tell you, God is able from ¹⁶these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. ¹⁷Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 ¹⁸“I baptize you with water ¹⁹for repentance, but ²⁰he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you ²¹with the Holy Spirit and ²²fire.

12 His ²³winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and ²⁴gather his wheat into the barn, ²⁵but the chaff he will burn with ²⁶unquenchable fire. ”

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