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¹ In those days John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the wilderness of Judea[xr] ² and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!"[xr] ³ He was the one the prophet Isaiah was referring to when he said,[xr] "He is a voice calling out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way for the Lord! Make his paths straight!'"[fn] ⁴ John had clothing made of camel's hair and wore[fn] a leather belt around his waist. His diet consisted of locusts and wild honey.[xr] ⁵ Then the people of[fn] Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region along the Jordan began flocking to him,[xr] ⁶ being baptized by him in the Jordan River while they confessed their sins.[xr]

⁷ But when John[fn] saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing,[fn] he said to them, "You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?[xr] ⁸ Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! ⁹ Don't think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our forefather.' For I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones![xr] ¹⁰ The ax already lies against the roots of the trees. So every tree not producing good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.[xr] ¹¹ I am baptizing you with[fn] water as a token of repentance,[fn] but the one who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. It is he who will baptize you with[fn] the Holy Spirit and fire.[xr] ¹² His winnowing fork is in his hand. He will clean up his threshing floor and gather his grain into the barn, but he will burn the chaff with inextinguishable fire."[xr]

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.[xr] ¹⁴ But John tried to stop him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and are you coming to me?" ¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, "Let it be this way for now, for this is the proper way for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then John[fn] let him. ¹⁶ When Jesus had been baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens opened up for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.[xr] ¹⁷ Then a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with him!"[xr]