¹⁵ As the people were in suspense and waiting expectantly, and everybody reasoned and questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether he perhaps might be the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

¹⁶ John answered them all by saying, I baptize you with water; but He Who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of Whose sandals I am not fit to unfasten. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

¹⁷ His winnowing shovel (fork) is in His hand to thoroughly clear and cleanse His [threshing] floor and to gather the wheat and store it in His granary, but the chaff He will burn with fire that cannot be extinguished.

¹⁸ So with many other [various] appeals and admonitions he preached the good news (the Gospel) to the people.

¹⁹ But Herod the tetrarch, who had been [repeatedly] told about his fault and reproved with rebuke ^[a]producing conviction by [John] for [having] Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the wicked things that Herod had done,

²⁰ Added this to them all—that he shut up John in prison.

²¹ Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized, and [while He was still] praying, the [visible] heaven was opened

²² And the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, saying, You are My Son, My Beloved! In You I am well pleased and find delight!^(A)