Luke 3:10-18
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
10 And the crowds asked him, “What, then, should we do?”(A) 11 In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.”(B) 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”(C) 13 He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.”(D) 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”(E)
15 As the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,[a](F) 16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with[b] the Holy Spirit and fire.(G) 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”(H)
18 So with many other exhortations he proclaimed the good news to the people.
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Luke 3:10-18
Contemporary English Version
10 The crowds asked John, “What should we do?”
11 John told them, “If you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn't have any. If you have food, share it with someone else.”
12 (A) When tax collectors[a] came to be baptized, they asked John, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13 John told them, “Don't make people pay more than they owe.”
14 Some soldiers asked him, “And what about us? What do we have to do?”
John told them, “Don't force people to pay money to make you leave them alone. Be satisfied with your pay.”
15 Everyone became excited and wondered, “Could John be the Messiah?”
16 John said, “I am just baptizing with water. But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to untie his sandals.[b] He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 His threshing fork[c] is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks. He will store the wheat in his barn and burn the husks with a fire that never goes out.”
18 In many different ways John preached the good news to the people.
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- 3.12 tax collectors: These were usually Jewish people who paid the Romans for the right to collect taxes. They were hated by other Jews who thought of them as traitors to their country and to their religion.
- 3.16 untie his sandals: This was the duty of a slave.
- 3.17 threshing fork: After Jewish farmers had trampled out the grain, they used a large fork to pitch the grain and the husks into the air. Wind would blow away the light husks, and the grain would fall back to the ground, where it could be gathered up.
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