< Matthew 3 >
1 THEN in those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the desert country of Judea,
2 and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is nigh.
3 For this is the person spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths strait.”
4 Now this John had his garment made of camel’s hair, and a girdle of leather about his loins, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5 Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the regions about Jordan,
6 and were baptized by him in Jordan, on making confession of their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, O ye broods of vipers! who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Produce then worthy fruits of repentance:
9 and think not to say in yourselves, We have Abraham for our father: for I say unto you, that God is able out of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
10 And now also the ax is laid to the root of the trees: every tree therefore which produceth not good fruit, is hewing down, and casting into the fire.
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire:
12 whose winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will collect the wheat into his granary; but the chaff will he burn up with fire unquenchable.
13 Then came Jesus from Galilee unto Jordan to John, that he might be baptized by him.
14 But John earnestly withheld him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15 But Jesus answering said unto him, Permit it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he permitted him.
16 And Jesus, after his baptism, came straight from the water: and lo! the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as it were a dove, and coming upon him:
17 and lo! a voice from the heavens, saying, This is my Son, the beloved, in whom is my delight.
