Matthew 3:1-11
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 a In those days b John the Baptist came preaching in c the wilderness of Judea, 2 d “Repent, for e the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, f “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:g ‘Prepare ▼
▼
Or crying: Prepare in the wilderness
the way of the Lord;make his paths straight.’”
4 Now John wore i a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was j locusts and k wild 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 l confessing their sins. 7 But when he saw many of m the Pharisees and n Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them o “You brood of p vipers! Who warned you to flee from q the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit r in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves s ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from t these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. u Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 v “I baptize you with water w for repentance, but x he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you y with the Holy Spirit and z fire.
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