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Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother tetrarch of Iturea, and the country of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilina;

Under the high priests Annas and Caiphas; the word of the Lord was made unto John, the son of Zachary, in the desert.

And he came into all the country about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of penance for the remission of sins;

As it was written in the book of the sayings of Isaias the prophet: A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.

Every valley shall be filled; and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight; and the rough ways plain;

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

He said therefore to the multitudes that went forth to be baptized by him: Ye offspring of vipers, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come?

Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of penance; and do not begin to say, We have Abraham for our father. For I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down and cast into the fire.

10 And the people asked him, saying: What then shall we do?

11 And he answering, said to them: He that hath two coats, let him give to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do in like manner.

12 And the publicans also came to be baptized, and said to him: Master, what shall we do?

13 But he said to them: Do nothing more than that which is appointed you.

14 And the soldiers also asked him, saying: And what shall we do? And he said to them: Do violence to no man; neither calumniate any man; and be content with your pay.

15 And as the people were of opinion, and all were thinking in their hearts of John, that perhaps he might be the Christ;

16 John answered, saying unto all: I indeed baptize you with water; but there shall come one mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

18 And many other things exhorting, did he preach to the people.

19 But Herod the tetrarch, when he was reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done;

20 He added this also above all, and shut up John in prison.

21 Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also being baptized and praying, heaven was opened;

22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape, as a dove upon him; and a voice came from heaven: Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

23 And Jesus himself was beginning about the age of thirty years; being (as it was supposed) the son of Joseph, who was of Heli, who was of Mathat,

24 Who was of Levi, who was of Melchi, who was of Janne, who was of Joseph,

25 Who was of Mathathias, who was of Amos, who was of Nahum, who was of Hesli, who was of Nagge,

26 Who was of Mahath, who was of Mathathias, who was of Semei, who was of Joseph, who was of Juda,

27 Who was of Joanna, who was of Reza, who was of Zorobabel, who was of Salathiel, who was of Neri,

28 Who was of Melchi, who was of Addi, who was of Cosan, who was of Helmadan, who was of Her,

29 Who was of Jesus, who was of Eliezer, who was of Jorim, who was of Mathat, who was of Levi,

30 Who was of Simeon, who was of Judas, who was of Joseph, who was of Jona, who was of Eliakim,

31 Who was of Melea, who was of Menna, who was of Mathatha, who was of Nathan, who was of David,

32 Who was of Jesse, who was of Obed, who was of Booz, who was of Salmon, who was of Naasson,

33 Who was of Aminadab, who was of Aram, who was of Esron, who was of Phares, who was of Judas,

34 Who was of Jacob, who was of Isaac, who was of Abraham, who was of Thare, who was of Nachor,

35 Who was of Sarug, who was of Ragau, who was of Phaleg, who was of Heber, who was of Sale,

36 Who was of Cainan, who was of Arphaxad, who was of Sem, who was of Noe, who was of Lamech,

37 Who was of Mathusale, who was of Henoch, who was of Jared, who was of Malaleel, who was of Cainan,

38 Who was of Henos, who was of Seth, who was of Adam, who was of God.

In The Fifteenth Year of Tiberius, John Is Sent Out By God

Now in the fifteenth[a] year of the government of Tiberius[b] Caesar— Pontius Pilate[c] being-governor of Judea, and Herod[d] being-tetrarch[e] of Galilee, and Philip[f] his brother being tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias being tetrarch of Abilene, in-the-time-of the high priest Annas and Caiaphas— the word of God came to[g] John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.

John Proclaims a Baptism of Repentance, In Fulfillment of Isaiah

And he went into all the surrounding-region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it has been written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet [in Isa 40:3-5], “A voice of one shouting in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; be making His paths straight. Every valley will be filled and every mountain and hill will be made-low. And the crooked paths will become straight, and the rough will become smooth paths. And all flesh will see the salvation of God’”. Therefore he was saying to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers— who showed[h] you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore produce fruits worthy of repentance. And do not begin to say within[i] yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’. For I say to you that God is able to raise-up children for Abraham from these stones! And indeed the axe is already lying[j] at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire”.

The People Ask John What They Should Do To Produce Fruit Worthy of Repentance

10 And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “What then should we do?” 11 And having responded, he was saying to them, “Let the one having two tunics[k] give to the one not having, and let the one having food be doing likewise”. 12 And tax collectors also came to be baptized. And they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 And the one said to them, “Be collecting nothing more than the amount having been commanded”. 14 And ones serving-as-soldiers also were questioning him, saying, “And us, what should we do?” And he said to them, “Do not violently-extort[l] anyone, nor extort-with-false-charges. And be content with your wages[m]”.

John Says One More Powerful Is Coming, Who Will Baptize With The Spirit And Fire

15 And while the populace was waiting-in-expectation and all were pondering in their hearts about John— if perhaps he might be the Christ— 16 John responded, saying to everyone, “I am baptizing you with[n] water, but the One more powerful than me is coming, of Whom I am not fit to untie the strap of His sandals. He will baptize you with[o] the Holy Spirit and fire[p] 17 Whose winnowing-tool is in His hand so as to clean-out[q] His threshing floor and gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with an inextinguishable fire”. 18 So indeed, while also exhorting many other things, he was announcing-good-news-to the people.

Herod Locked Up John In Prison

19 But Herod the tetrarch— while being rebuked[r] by him concerning Herodias[s], the wife of his brother, and concerning all the evil things which Herod did— 20 also added this to everything: he also locked-up John in prison.

Jesus Was Baptized When All The People Were Baptized

21 And it came about when[t] all the people were baptized, Jesus also having been baptized and praying, that the heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in a bodily form like[u] a dove, and a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son. With You I was[v] well-pleased”.

At About Age Thirty, Jesus Begins His Ministry

23 And Jesus Himself was, [when] beginning His ministry, about thirty years old, being a son, as it was being supposed, of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Aminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 3:1 This points to a year between a.d. 26 and 29.
  2. Luke 3:1 He was the Roman emperor from a.d. 14 to 37.
  3. Luke 3:1 He was the fifth Roman prefect (a military officer put in charge of a district to maintain order) of Judea, serving from a.d. 26 to 36.
  4. Luke 3:1 That is, Herod Antipas. See Mt 14:1.
  5. Luke 3:1 That is, being-governor, appointed by Rome.
  6. Luke 3:1 This Philip II was a half-brother of Herod Antipas. His capital was Philip’s Caesarea (seen in Mt 16:13). He reigned from 4 b.c. to a.d. 34.
  7. Luke 3:2 Or, upon.
  8. Luke 3:7 Or, indicated to, warned.
  9. Luke 3:8 Or, among.
  10. Luke 3:9 Or, being laid.
  11. Luke 3:11 That is, undergarments.
  12. Luke 3:14 That is, threaten or use violence to get money from citizens.
  13. Luke 3:14 Or, rations.
  14. Luke 3:16 Or, in.
  15. Luke 3:16 Or, in.
  16. Luke 3:16 See Mt 3:11.
  17. Luke 3:17 That is, by separating the threshings into wheat and chaff, and taking each to their destinations.
  18. Luke 3:19 Or, exposed.
  19. Luke 3:19 See Mt 14:3.
  20. Luke 3:21 That is, at the period of time when all the people were baptized.
  21. Luke 3:22 That is, having a body with an outward appearance similar to a dove.
  22. Luke 3:22 Or, am well pleased. See Mt 3:17.