Read the Bible

¹ Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,² Annas being the high priest and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.³ And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance, for the remission of sins:⁴ As it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.⁵ Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth: And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.⁶ Then said he to the multitudes,⁷ that came forth to be baptized of him, Ye brood of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?⁸ Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance; and say not within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father; for I say to you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.⁹ And now also the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire.¹⁰ And the multitude asked him, saying, What then shall we do? He answering saith to them,¹¹ He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.¹² And publicans also came to be baptized, and said to him, Master, what shall we do?¹³ And he said to them, Exact no more than what is appointed you.¹⁴ And the soldiers likewise asked him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said to them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your pay.

¹⁵ And as the people were in expectation, and all mused in their hearts of John,¹⁶ whether he were not the Christ, John answered saying to them all, I indeed baptize you with water, but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:¹⁷ Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.¹⁸ And many other things in his exhortation preached he to the people.¹⁹ But Herod the tetrarch being reproved by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and concerning all the evils which Herod had done, Added also this above all,²⁰ that he shut up John in prison.

²¹ Now while all the people were baptizing, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized,²² and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily form, like a dove, upon him, and a voice came from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I delight.²³ And Jesus was about thirty years of age, when he began his ministry, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, who was the son of Heli,²⁴ The son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna,²⁵ the son of Joseph, The son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum,²⁶ the son of Esli, the son of Nagge, The son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Shimei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah, The son of Johanan,²⁷ the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel,²⁸ the son of Neri, The son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,²⁹ the son of Elmodam, the son of Er, The son of Jose, the son of Eleazar,³⁰ the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, The son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Johanan, the son of Eliakim,³¹ The son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan,³² the son of David, The son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Booz,³³ the son of Salmon, the son of Naasson, The son of Aminadab, the son of Aaron, the son of Esrom, the son of Phares, the son of Judah,³⁴ The son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah,³⁵ the son of Nahor, The son of Saruch, the son of Ragau, the son of Phalec,³⁶ the son of Heber, the son of Sala, The son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, The son of Methuselah,³⁷ the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Maleleel,³⁸ the son of Cainan, The son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.