Matthew 3:1-8

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea

2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

3 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.’ ”^[a]

4 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.

5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.

6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

7 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?

8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

Cross References

• 1. ver 13,14; Matthew 9:14; Matthew 11:2-14; Matthew 14:1-12; Lk 1:13,57-66; Luke 3:2-19; Acts 19:3,4
• 2. Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:14; Matthew 4:17; Matthew 6:10; Matthew 7:21; S Matthew 25:34; Luke 11:20; Luke 17:20,21; Luke 19:11; Luke 21:31; John 3:3,5; Acts 1:3,6
• 3. Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1; Luke 1:76; John 1:23
• 4. S Matthew 3:1
• 5. 2 Kings 1:8
• 6. Leviticus 11:22
• 7. ver 11; S Mark 1:4
• 8. Matthew 12:34; Matthew 23:33
• 9. S Romans 1:18; 1 Thessalonians 1:10
• 10. Acts 26:20

Footnotes

• [a] Isaiah 40:3