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Luke 3:7-18
New International Version
Luke 3:7-18
New International Version
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers!(A) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?(B) 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’(C) 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.”(D)
10 “What should we do then?”(E) 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.”(F)
12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized.(G) “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”
13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,”(H) 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(I)—be content with your pay.”
15 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John(J) might possibly be the Messiah.(K) 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with[a] water.(L) 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.(M) 17 His winnowing fork(N) 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.”(O) 18 And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.
Luke 3:7-20
The Message
Luke 3:7-20
The Message
7-9 When crowds of people came out for baptism because it was the popular thing to do, John exploded: “Brood of snakes! What do you think you’re doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to deflect God’s judgment? It’s your life that must change, not your skin. And don’t think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as ‘father.’ Being a child of Abraham is neither here nor there—children of Abraham are a dime a dozen. God can make children from stones if he wants. What counts is your life. Is it green and flourishing? Because if it’s deadwood, it goes on the fire.”
10 The crowd asked him, “Then what are we supposed to do?”
11 “If you have two coats, give one away,” he said. “Do the same with your food.”
12 Tax men also came to be baptized and said, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13 He told them, “No more extortion—collect only what is required by law.”
14 Soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”
He told them, “No harassment, no blackmail—and be content with your rations.”
15 The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning to wonder, “Could this John be the Messiah?”
16-17 But John intervened: “I’m baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.”
18-20 There was a lot more of this—words that gave strength to the people, words that put heart in them. The Message! But Herod, the ruler, stung by John’s rebuke in the matter of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, capped his long string of evil deeds with this outrage: He put John in jail.
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Luke 3:7-18
English Standard Version
Luke 3:7-18
English Standard Version
7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, (A)“You brood of (B)vipers! Who warned you to flee from (C)the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits (D)in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, (E)‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from (F)these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. (G)Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10 And the crowds asked him, (H)“What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, (I)“Whoever has two tunics[a] is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 (J)Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, (K)what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, (L)“Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, (M)what shall we do?” And he said to them, (N)“Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your (O)wages.”
15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, (P)whether he might be (Q)the Christ, 16 (R)John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but (S)he who is mightier than I is coming, (T)the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you (U)with the Holy Spirit and (V)fire. 17 His (W)winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to (X)gather the wheat into his barn, (Y)but the chaff he will burn with (Z)unquenchable fire.”
18 So (AA)with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.
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- Luke 3:11 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.