The Preaching of John the Baptist

Now (A)in those days (B)John the Baptist *[a]came, [b]preaching in the (C)wilderness of Judea, saying, (D)Repent, for (E)the kingdom of heaven [c]is at hand.” For this is the (F)one referred to [d]by Isaiah the prophet when he said,

(G)The voice of one [e]calling [f]out in the wilderness,
(H)Prepare the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight!’”

Now John himself had [g](I)a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was (J)locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem (K)was going out to him, and all Judea and all (L)the region around the Jordan; and they were being (M)baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

But when he saw many of the (N)Pharisees and (O)Sadducees coming for [h]baptism, he said to them, “You [i](P)offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from (Q)the wrath to come? (R)Therefore produce fruit (S)consistent with repentance; and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘(T)We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham. 10 And the (U)axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, (V)every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “As for me, (W)I baptize you [j]with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; (X)He will baptize you [k]with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His (Y)winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will (Z)gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the (AA)chaff with (AB)unquenchable fire.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 3:1 Or arrived; or appeared
  2. Matthew 3:1 Or proclaiming as a herald
  3. Matthew 3:2 Lit has come near
  4. Matthew 3:3 Or through
  5. Matthew 3:3 Or shouting
  6. Matthew 3:3 Or out, Prepare in the wilderness the way
  7. Matthew 3:4 Lit his garment
  8. Matthew 3:7 Later mss his baptism
  9. Matthew 3:7 Or brood
  10. Matthew 3:11 The Gr here can be translated in, with, or by
  11. Matthew 3:11 The Gr here can be translated in, with, or by

And in those days cometh John the Baptist preaching in the desert of Judea.

And saying: Do penance: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

For this is he that was spoken of by Isaias the prophet, saying: A voice of one crying in the desert, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.

And the same John had his garment of camels' hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins: and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the country about Jordan:

And were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them: Ye brood of vipers, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come?

Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance.

And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father. For I tell you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

10 For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doth not yield good fruit, shall be cut down, and cast into the fire.

11 I indeed baptize you in the water unto penance, but he that shall come after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire.

12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

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