Matthew 3:7-12

7 But when he saw many of ¹the Pharisees and ²Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ³“You brood of ⁴vipers! Who warned you to flee from ⁵the wrath to come?

8 Bear fruit ⁶in keeping with repentance.

9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ⁷‘We have Abraham as our father, ’ for I tell you, God is able from ⁸these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. ⁹Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 ¹⁰“I baptize you with water ¹¹for repentance, but ¹²he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you ¹³with the Holy Spirit and ¹⁴fire.

12 His ¹⁵winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and ¹⁶gather his wheat into the barn, ¹⁷but the chaff he will burn with ¹⁸unquenchable fire. ”

Cross References

• 1. 3:7 ch. 23:13, 15
• 2. 3:7 ch. 22:23
• 3. 3:7 ch. 12:34; 23:33
• 4. 3:7 Ps. 140:3
• 5. 3:7 Rom. 5:9; Eph. 5:6; Col. 3:6; 1 Thess. 1:10
• 6. 3:8 Acts 26:20
• 7. 3:9 John 8:39
• 8. 3:9 [ch. 4:3]
• 9. 3:10 ch. 7:19; Luke 13:7, 9; John 15:2, 6
• 10. 3:11 John 1:26; Acts 1:5
• 11. 3:11 Acts 13:24; 19:4
• 12. 3:11 John 1:15, 27; 3:30, 31; Acts 13:25
• 13. 3:11 John 1:33; Acts 11:16
• 14. 3:11 [Isa. 4:4; Mal. 3:2, 3; Acts 2:3]
• 15. 3:12 Isa. 30:24
• 16. 3:12 ch. 13:30
• 17. 3:12 Mal. 4:1
• 18. 3:12 Mark 9:43, 48