Luke 3:15-17

Contemporary English Version

¹⁵Everyone became excited and wondered, “Could John be the Messiah?”

¹⁶John 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.^[a] He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷His threshing fork^[b] 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.”

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Footnotes

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.

Luke 3:15-17

New International Version

¹⁵The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John^(A) might possibly be the Messiah.^(B) ¹⁶John answered them all, “I baptize you with^[a] water.^(C) 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^[b] the Holy Spirit and fire.^(D) ¹⁷His winnowing fork^(E) 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.”^(F)