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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."^{[a] 3} For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

⁴ Now John wore ^(h)a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was ⁽ⁱ⁾locusts and ^(j)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, ^(k)confessing their sins.

⁷ But when he saw many of ^(l)the Pharisees and ^(m)Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ⁽ⁿ⁾"You brood of ^(o)vipers! Who warned you to flee from ^(p)the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruit ^(q)in keeping with repentance. ⁹ And do not presume to say to yourselves, ^(r)‘We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from ^(s)these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. ^(t)Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

^11 (u)"I baptize you with water ^(v)for repentance, but ^(w)he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you ^(x)with the Holy Spirit and ^(y)fire. ¹² His ^(z)winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and ^(aa)gather his wheat into the barn, ^(ab)but the chaff he will burn with ^(ac)unquenchable fire."

The Baptism of Jesus

^13 (ad)Then Jesus came ^(ae)from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. ^14 (af)John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" ¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. ¹⁶ And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, ^(ag)the heavens were opened to him,^[c] and he ^(ah)saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; ¹⁷ and behold, ^(ai)a voice from heaven said, ^(aj)"This is my beloved Son,^[d] with whom I am well pleased."