John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)(B)

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate^(C) was governor of Judea, Herod^(D) tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— ² during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,^(E) the word of God came to John^(F) son of Zechariah^(G) in the wilderness. ³ He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.^{(H) 4} As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

⁷ John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers!^(J) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{(K) 8} Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^(L) For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ⁹ The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”^(M)

¹⁰ “What should we do then?”^(N) the crowd asked.

¹¹ John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”^(O)

¹² Even tax collectors came to be baptized.^(P) “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

¹³ “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,”^(Q) he told them.

¹⁴ Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely^(R)—be content with your pay.”

¹⁵ The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John^(S) might possibly be the Messiah.^{(T) 16} John answered them all, “I baptize you with^[b] water.^(U) But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with^[c] the Holy Spirit and fire.^{(V) 17} His winnowing fork^(W) is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”^{(X) 18} And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

¹⁹ But when John rebuked Herod^(Y) the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, ²⁰ Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.^(Z)

The Baptism and Genealogy of Jesus^(AA)(AB)

²¹ When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying,^(AC) heaven was opened ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him^(AD) in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son,^(AE) whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”^(AF)

²³ Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.^(AG) He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,^(AH)

From Adam to Noah

5 This is the written account^(A) of Adam’s family line.^(B)

When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God.^{(C) 2} He created them^(D) male and female^(E) and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind”^[a] when they were created.

³ When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image;^(F) and he named him Seth.^{(G) 4} After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. ⁵ Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.^(H)

⁶ When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father^[b] of Enosh.^{(I) 7} After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. ⁸ Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.

⁹ When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan.^{(J) 10} After he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. ¹¹ Altogether, Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died.

¹² When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel.^{(K) 13} After he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. ¹⁴ Altogether, Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died.

¹⁵ When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared.^{(L) 16} After he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. ¹⁷ Altogether, Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died.

¹⁸ When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch.^{(M) 19} After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. ²⁰ Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.

²¹ When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.^{(N) 22} After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God^(O) 300 years and had other sons and daughters. ²³ Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. ²⁴ Enoch walked faithfully with God;^(P) then he was no more, because God took him away.^(Q)

²⁵ When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech.^{(R) 26} After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. ²⁷ Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.

²⁸ When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. ²⁹ He named him Noah^[c](S) and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.^(T)” ³⁰ After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. ³¹ Altogether, Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.

³² After Noah was 500 years old,^(U) he became the father of Shem,^(V) Ham and Japheth.^(W)

Wickedness in the World

6 When human beings began to increase in number on the earth^(X) and daughters were born to them, ² the sons of God^(Y) saw that the daughters^(Z) of humans were beautiful,^(AA) and they married^(AB) any of them they chose. ³ Then the Lord said, “My Spirit^(AC) will not contend with^[d] humans forever,^(AD) for they are mortal^[e];^(AE) their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

⁴ The Nephilim^(AF) were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans^(AG) and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.^(AH)

⁵ The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth,^(AI) and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.^{(AJ) 6} The Lord regretted^(AK) that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. ⁷ So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth^(AL) the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.^(AM)” ⁸ But Noah^(AN) found favor in the eyes of the Lord.^(AO)

Noah and the Flood

⁹ This is the account^(AP) of Noah and his family.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless^(AQ) among the people of his time,^(AR) and he walked faithfully with God.^{(AS) 10} Noah had three sons: Shem,^(AT) Ham and Japheth.^(AU)

¹¹ Now the earth was corrupt^(AV) in God’s sight and was full of violence.^{(AW) 12} God saw how corrupt^(AX) the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.^{(AY) 13} So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy^(AZ) both them and the earth.^{(BA) 14} So make yourself an ark of cypress^[f] wood;^(BB) make rooms in it and coat it with pitch^(BC) inside and out. ¹⁵ This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.^{[g] 16} Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit^[h] high all around.^[i] Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. ¹⁷ I am going to bring floodwaters^(BD) on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.^{(BE) 18} But I will establish my covenant with you,^(BF) and you will enter the ark^(BG)—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. ¹⁹ You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.^{(BH) 20} Two^(BI) of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind^(BJ) of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.^{(BK) 21} You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

²² Noah did everything just as God commanded him.^(BL)