^2 (A)“Repent, for ^(B)the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”^[a]

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 ^(A)In those days ^(B)John the Baptist came preaching in ^(C)the wilderness of Judea, ^2 (D)“Repent, for ^(E)the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”^{[a] 3} For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

⁴ Now John wore ^(H)a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was ^(I)locusts and ^(J)wild honey.

^5 (A)“Behold, I will send you ^(B)Elijah the prophet ^(C)before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. ⁶ And he will ^(D)turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and ^(E)strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”^[a]

¹⁷ and ^(A)he will go before him ^(B)in the spirit and power of Elijah, ^(C)to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and ^(D)the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, ^(E)to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

⁸ They answered him, ^(A)“He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

⁶ Now John was ^(A)clothed with camel's hair and ^(B)wore a leather belt around his waist and ate ^(C)locusts and ^(D)wild honey.

^9 (A)And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, ^(B)“Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” ¹⁰ And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say ^(C)that first Elijah must come?” ¹¹ He answered, “Elijah does come, and ^(D)he will restore all things. ¹² But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but ^(E)did to him whatever they pleased. ^(F)So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” ^13 (G)Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Comfort for God's People

⁵ Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, ⁶ and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, ^(A)confessing their sins.

⁷ But when he saw many of ^(B)the Pharisees and ^(C)Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ^(D)“You brood of ^(E)vipers! Who warned you to flee from ^(F)the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruit ^(G)in keeping with repentance. ⁹ And do not presume to say to yourselves, ^(H)‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from ^(I)these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. ^(J)Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.