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John the Baptist Prepares the Way

¹ In the fifteenth year of the reign of ^(a)Tiberius Caesar, ^(b)Pontius Pilate ^(c)being governor of Judea, and ^(d)Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, ² during ^(e)the high priesthood of Annas and ^(f)Caiaphas, ^(g)the word of God came to ^(h)John the son of Zechariah in ⁽ⁱ⁾the wilderness. ³ And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming ^(j)a baptism of repentance ^(k)for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴ As it is written in ^(l)the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

⁷ He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ^(t)"You brood of ^(u)vipers! Who warned you to flee from ^(v)the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruits ^(w)in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ^(x)‘We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from ^(y)these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ⁹ Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. ^(z)Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

¹⁰ And the crowds asked him, ^(aa)"What then shall we do?" ¹¹ And he answered them, ^(ab)"Whoever has two tunics^[b] is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise." ^12 (ac)Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, "Teacher, ^(ad)what shall we do?" ¹³ And he said to them, ^(ae)"Collect no more than you are authorized to do." ¹⁴ Soldiers also asked him, "And we, ^(af)what shall we do?" And he said to them, ^(ag)"Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your ^(ah)wages."

¹⁵ As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, ^(ai)whether he might be ^(aj)the Christ, ^16 (ak)John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but ^(al)he who is mightier than I is coming, ^(am)the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you ^(an)with the Holy Spirit and ^(ao)fire. ¹⁷ His ^(ap)winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to ^(aq)gather the wheat into his barn, ^(ar)but the chaff he will burn with ^(as)unquenchable fire."

¹⁸ So ^(at)with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. ¹⁹ But ^(au)Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, ²⁰ added this to them all, that ^(av)he locked up John in prison.

²¹ Now when all the people were baptized, and when ^(aw)Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, ^(ax)the heavens were opened, ²² and ^(ay)the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and ^(az)a voice came from heaven, ^(ba)"You are my beloved Son;^[c] with you I am well pleased."^[d]

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

²³ Jesus, ^(bb)when he began his ministry, was about ^(bc)thirty years of age, being ^(bd)the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, ²⁴ the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, ²⁵ the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, ²⁶ the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, ²⁷ the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, ^(be)the son of Zerubbabel, the son ^(bf)of Shealtiel,^[e] the son of Neri, ²⁸ the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, ²⁹ the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, ³⁰ the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, ³¹ the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of ^(bg)Nathan, the son of David, ^32 (bh)the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, ³³ the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, ^34 (bi)the son of Jacob, ^(bj)the son of Isaac, ^(bk)the son of Abraham, ^(bl)the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, ³⁵ the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, ³⁶ the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, ³⁷ the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, ³⁸ the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.