John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)(B)

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate^(C) was governor of Judea, Herod^(D) tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— ² during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,^(E) the word of God came to John^(F) son of Zechariah^(G) in the wilderness. ³ He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.^{(H) 4} As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

⁷ John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers!^(J) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{(K) 8} Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^(L) 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.”^(M)

¹⁰ “What should we do then?”^(N) 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.”^(O)

¹² Even tax collectors came to be baptized.^(P) “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

¹³ “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,”^(Q) 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^(R)—be content with your pay.”

¹⁵ The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John^(S) might possibly be the Messiah.^{(T) 16} John answered them all, “I baptize you with^[b] water.^(U) 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^[c] the Holy Spirit and fire.^{(V) 17} His winnowing fork^(W) 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.”^{(X) 18} And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

¹⁹ But when John rebuked Herod^(Y) the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, ²⁰ Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.^(Z)

The Baptism and Genealogy of Jesus^(AA)(AB)

²¹ When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying,^(AC) heaven was opened ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him^(AD) in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son,^(AE) whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”^(AF)

²³ Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.^(AG) He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,^(AH)

The Passover^(A)

16 Observe the month of Aviv^(B) and celebrate the Passover^(C) of the Lord your God, because in the month of Aviv he brought you out of Egypt by night. ² Sacrifice as the Passover to the Lord your God an animal from your flock or herd at the place the Lord will choose as a dwelling for his Name.^{(D) 3} Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction,^(E) because you left Egypt in haste^(F)—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt.^{(G) 4} Let no yeast be found in your possession in all your land for seven days. Do not let any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening^(H) of the first day remain until morning.^(I)

⁵ You must not sacrifice the Passover in any town the Lord your God gives you ⁶ except in the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. There you must sacrifice the Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary^[a](J) of your departure from Egypt. ⁷ Roast^(K) it and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your tents. ⁸ For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly^(L) to the Lord your God and do no work.^(M)

The Festival of Weeks^(N)

⁹ Count off seven weeks^(O) from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain.^{(P) 10} Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the Lord your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you. ¹¹ And rejoice^(Q) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name^(R)—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites^(S) in your towns, and the foreigners,^(T) the fatherless and the widows living among you.^{(U) 12} Remember that you were slaves in Egypt,^(V) and follow carefully these decrees.

The Festival of Tabernacles^(W)

¹³ Celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor^(X) and your winepress.^{(Y) 14} Be joyful^(Z) at your festival—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. ¹⁵ For seven days celebrate the festival to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy^(AA) will be complete.

¹⁶ Three times a year all your men must appear^(AB) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose: at the Festival of Unleavened Bread,^(AC) the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles.^(AD) No one should appear before the Lord empty-handed:^{(AE) 17} Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.

Judges

¹⁸ Appoint judges^(AF) and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly.^{(AG) 19} Do not pervert justice^(AH) or show partiality.^(AI) Do not accept a bribe,^(AJ) for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. ²⁰ Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you.

Worshiping Other Gods

²¹ Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole^(AK) beside the altar you build to the Lord your God,^{(AL) 22} and do not erect a sacred stone,^(AM) for these the Lord your God hates.

17 Do not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect^(AN) or flaw in it, for that would be detestable^(AO) to him.^(AP)

² If a man or woman living among you in one of the towns the Lord gives you is found doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God in violation of his covenant,^{(AQ) 3} and contrary to my command^(AR) has worshiped other gods,^(AS) bowing down to them or to the sun^(AT) or the moon or the stars in the sky,^{(AU) 4} and this has been brought to your attention, then you must investigate it thoroughly. If it is true^(AV) and it has been proved that this detestable thing has been done in Israel,^{(AW) 5} take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death.^{(AX) 6} On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.^{(AY) 7} The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting that person to death,^(AZ) and then the hands of all the people.^(BA) You must purge the evil^(BB) from among you.

Law Courts

⁸ If cases come before your courts that are too difficult for you to judge^(BC)—whether bloodshed, lawsuits or assaults^(BD)—take them to the place the Lord your God will choose.^{(BE) 9} Go to the Levitical^(BF) priests and to the judge^(BG) who is in office at that time. Inquire of them and they will give you the verdict.^{(BH) 10} You must act according to the decisions they give you at the place the Lord will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you to do. ¹¹ Act according to whatever they teach you and the decisions they give you. Do not turn aside from what they tell you, to the right or to the left.^{(BI) 12} Anyone who shows contempt^(BJ) for the judge or for the priest who stands ministering^(BK) there to the Lord your God is to be put to death.^(BL) You must purge the evil from Israel.^{(BM) 13} All the people will hear and be afraid, and will not be contemptuous again.^(BN)

The King

¹⁴ When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession^(BO) of it and settled in it,^(BP) and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”^{(BQ) 15} be sure to appoint^(BR) over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites.^(BS) Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite. ¹⁶ The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses^(BT) for himself^(BU) or make the people return to Egypt^(BV) to get more of them,^(BW) for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.”^{(BX) 17} He must not take many wives,^(BY) or his heart will be led astray.^(BZ) He must not accumulate^(CA) large amounts of silver and gold.^(CB)

¹⁸ When he takes the throne^(CC) of his kingdom, he is to write^(CD) for himself on a scroll a copy^(CE) of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. ¹⁹ It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life^(CF) so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees^{(CG) 20} and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law^(CH) to the right or to the left.^(CI) Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.^(CJ)