John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
2 whileAnnas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came toJohn the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentancefor the remission of sins,
4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:
# “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of theLord;
Make His paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth;
6 Andall flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”
John Preaches to the People
7 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him,“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Therefore bear fruitsworthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham asourfather.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
9 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Thereforeevery tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 So the people asked him, saying,“What shall we do then?”
11 He answered and said to them,“He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food,let him do likewise.”
12 Thentax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”
13 And he said to them,“Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”
14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?”
# So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyoneor accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
15 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christornot,
16 John answered, saying to all,“I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He willbaptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
17 His winnowing fanisin His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, andgather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18 And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.
19 But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
20 also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.
John Baptizes Jesus
21 When all the people were baptized,it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.
22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I amwell pleased.”
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
23 Now Jesus Himself beganHisministryatabout thirty years of age, being (as was supposed)theson of Joseph,thesonof Heli,
24 thesonof Matthat,thesonof Levi,thesonof Melchi,thesonof Janna,thesonof Joseph,
25 thesonof Mattathiah,thesonof Amos,thesonof Nahum,thesonof Esli,thesonof Naggai,
26 thesonof Maath,thesonof Mattathiah,thesonof Semei,thesonof Joseph,thesonof Judah,
27 thesonof Joannas,thesonof Rhesa,thesonofZerubbabel,thesonof Shealtiel,thesonof Neri,
28 thesonof Melchi,thesonof Addi,thesonof Cosam,thesonof Elmodam,thesonof Er,
29 thesonof Jose,thesonof Eliezer,thesonof Jorim,thesonof Matthat,thesonof Levi,
30 thesonof Simeon,thesonof Judah,thesonof Joseph,thesonof Jonan,thesonof Eliakim,
31 thesonof Melea,thesonof Menan,thesonof Mattathah,thesonofNathan,the son of David,
32 thesonof Jesse,thesonof Obed,thesonof Boaz,thesonof Salmon,thesonof Nahshon,
33 thesonof Amminadab,thesonof Ram,thesonof Hezron,thesonof Perez,thesonof Judah,
34 thesonof Jacob,thesonof Isaac,thesonof Abraham,thesonof Terah,thesonof Nahor,
35 thesonof Serug,thesonof Reu,thesonof Peleg,thesonof Eber,thesonof Shelah,
36 thesonof Cainan,thesonofArphaxad,thesonof Shem,thesonof Noah,thesonof Lamech,
37 thesonof Methuselah,thesonof Enoch,thesonof Jared,thesonof Mahalalel,thesonof Cainan,
38 thesonof Enosh,thesonof Seth,thesonof Adam,thesonof God.