Matthew 3
1 About that time John the Baptist first appeared, proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea:
About this time John the Baptist made his appearance, preaching in the Desert of Judaea.
2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
"Repent," he said, "for the Kingdom of the Heavens is now close at hand."
3 John was the one who was spoken of in the prophet Isaiah, where he says – ‘The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness: “Make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”’
He it is who was spoken of through the Prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying aloud, 'In the desert prepare ye a road for the Lord: make His highway straight.'"
4 John’s clothes were made of camels’ hair, with a leather strap around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
This man John wore a garment of camel's hair, and a loincloth of leather; and he lived upon locusts and wild honey.
5 At that time Jerusalem, and all Judea, as well as the whole district of the Jordan, went out to him
Then large numbers of people went out to him--people from Jerusalem and from all Judaea, and from the whole of the Jordan valley--
6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
and were baptized by him in the Jordan, making full confession of their sins.
7 But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to receive his baptism, he said to them, “You children of snakes! Who has prompted you to seek refuge from the coming judgment?
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he exclaimed, "O vipers' brood, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8 Let your life, then, prove your repentance;
Therefore let your lives prove your change of heart;
9 and do not think that you can say among yourselves ‘Abraham is our ancestor,’ for I tell you that out of these stones God is able to raise descendants for Abraham!
and do not imagine that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our forefather,' for I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones.
10 Already the axe is lying at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that fails to bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
And already the axe is lying at the root of the trees, so that every tree which does not produce good fruit will quickly be hewn down and thrown into the fire.
11 I, indeed, baptize you with water to teach repentance; but he who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not fit even to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
I indeed am baptizing you in water on a profession of repentance; but He who is coming after me is mightier than I: His sandals I am not worthy to carry for a moment; He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire.
12 His winnowing-fan is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor, and store his grain in the barn, but the chaff he will burn with a fire that cannot be put out.”
His winnowing-shovel is in His hand, and He will make a thorough clearance of His threshing-floor, gathering His wheat into the storehouse, but burning up the chaff in unquenchable fire."
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan, to John, to be baptized by him.
Just at that time Jesus, coming from Galilee to the Jordan, presents Himself to John to be baptized by him.
14 But John tried to prevent him. “I need to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why have you come to me?”
John protested. "It is I," he said, "who have need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
15 “This is the way it should be for now,” Jesus answered, “because we should do everything that God requires.” So John agreed.
"Let it be so on this occasion," Jesus replied; "for so we ought to fulfil every religious duty." Then he consented;
16 After the baptism of Jesus, and just as he came up from the water, the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and resting on him,
and Jesus was baptized, and immediately went up from the water. At that moment the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him,
17 and from the heavens there came a voice which said, “This is my dearly loved son, who brings me great joy.”
while a voice came from Heaven, saying, "This is My Son, the dearly loved, in whom is My delight."
