The Message Bible MSG
New International Version NIV
10 The crowd asked him, "Then what are we supposed to do?"
10
“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.
11 "If you have two coats, give one away," he said. "Do the same with your food."
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John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”
12 Tax men also came to be baptized and said, "Teacher, what should we do?"
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Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
13 He told them, "No more extortion - collect only what is required by law."
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“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.
14 Soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He told them, "No shakedowns, no blackmail - and be content with your rations."
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Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”
15 The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning to wonder, "Could this John be the Messiah?"
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The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah.
16 But John intervened: "I'm baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out.
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John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
17 He's going to clean house - make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned."
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His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
18 There was a lot more of this - words that gave strength to the people, words that put heart in them. The Message!
18
And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.