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The Beginning of Jesus’ Ministry[a]

Chapter 3

The Ministry of John the Baptist. In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias[b] was tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,[c] the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the desert. He journeyed throughout the entire region of the Jordan valley, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled in,
    and every mountain and hill shall be leveled;
the winding roads shall be straightened
    and the rough paths made smooth,
and all mankind shall see the salvation of God.’ ”

He admonished the crowds who came out to be baptized by him: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Produce good fruits as proof of your repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10 When the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” 11 he said to them in reply, “Anyone who has two coats must share with the person who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.” 12 Even tax collectors were coming to him to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 He answered them, “Cease collecting more than the amount prescribed.” 14 Some soldiers also asked him, “What about us? What should we do?” He replied, “Do not extort money from anyone, do not falsely accuse or threaten anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.”

15 As the people began to experience a feeling of expectancy, they all wondered in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. 16 John answered, telling them all: “I baptize you with water, but there is one coming who is more powerful than I am. I am not worthy to loosen the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” 18 And with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

19 But Herod the tetrarch, after having been rebuked by John because of his affair with Herodias, his brother’s wife, in addition to all the other evil deeds he had done, 20 added still this, that he put John in prison.[d]

21 The Baptism of Jesus.[e] After John had baptized all the people, and while Jesus was engaged in prayer after also having been baptized, heaven opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased.”

23 The Genealogy of Jesus.[f] When Jesus began his ministry, he was about thirty years old. He was the son, as it was thought, of Joseph,[g]

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 Esli,

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 Amminadab,

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 Eber,

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 Enos,

the son of Seth, the son of Adam,

the son of God.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 3:1 The word of God finds expression in the history of humankind. By listing the many temporal rulers and religious authorities, Luke enables us to date John’s activity as occurring between the fall of A.D. 27 and Passover of 28. But he also wants to contrast these earthly rulers and religious authorities with the sovereignty and authority of Jesus. The deeper movement of history does not take place at the level of official appearances; in fact, it is Jesus who is fulfilling the destiny of the world by giving history its true meaning.
    Luke sums up in a single passage all the information that he intends to offer on the work of John. More than the other evangelists, he stresses the point that salvation is offered to everyone; in his citation of Isaiah he highlights the final verse, thereby underscoring the thought that the new age is meant for the authentic children of Abraham and not solely for the chosen people. At the end of the passage he immediately jumps ahead to the imprisonment of John, of which Mark and Matthew speak at a later point and at greater length (Mt 14:1-12; Mk 6:14-29). His intention is to make a clear distinction between the Jesus movement and the Johannine movement: when the time of Christ begins, that of John, the forerunner, is finished.
  2. Luke 3:1 Lysanias: an unknown governor. Abilene: a region northeast of Damascus.
  3. Luke 3:2 Caiaphas was the current high priest (A.D. 18–36). Annas, that is, Ananiah, had preceded him from 5 B.C. to A.D. 15. He is named here because he still exercised considerable influence.
  4. Luke 3:20 John’s imprisonment occurred sometime after the beginning of Jesus’ ministry (see Jn 3:22-24). Luke mentions it here to bring his section on John’s ministry to a conclusion before starting his account of that of Jesus (see also Mt 4:12; Mk 1:14). Later he alludes to John’s death (Lk 9:7-9). See also note on Mk 1:14.
  5. Luke 3:21 Jesus here shows himself to be in solidarity with sinners by receiving the bath of repentance. But a unique event also takes place: The Messiah receives his investiture from heaven. The Holy Spirit will be present in him (see Isa 11:2); over him are pronounced the words used in consecrating kings (Ps 2:7), but here they attest that he is the Son of God in a sense hitherto unsuspected (see Lk 1:35).
  6. Luke 3:23 Luke gives a genealogy that is meant not as a historical document but as the assertion of a legal status. Jesus is linked to Joseph, even though it was known that the link was not one of blood; the reason for doing so is that at that time only men and not women had rights. The genealogy then moves back to David, without following the line of kings. From that point it continues again, not only as far as Abraham, but—and this is the chief novelty of the passage—as far as Adam, who comes from the hand of God. Luke’s intention is to stress the point that Jesus belongs not only to the chosen people but to the entire human race, which he has come to save.
    Whereas Matthew specifically mentions three groups of 14 generations, Luke lists 77 names, according to a scheme of sevens. From the beginning of the human race until Jesus there are eleven series of seven (11 x 7). Jesus comes as Messiah in the eschatological stage of history (see 4 Esdras 14:11).
  7. Luke 3:23 It may be helpful to record another interpretation of the difference between this genealogy and that of Matthew: in virtue of the law of the levirate, Joseph (it is said) had two fathers, one biological (Jacob), the other legal (Heli); thus two different lists are used as far back as Shealtiel.

The Preaching of John(A)

It was the fifteenth year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar [C the Roman emperor, ad 14–37]. ·These men were under Caesar: Pontius Pilate, [L …when Pontius Pilate was] the ·ruler [or governor; C his official title was “prefect”; Pilate governed from ad 26–36] of Judea; Herod [C Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great], the ·ruler [L tetrarch; C the title meant “ruler of a fourth,” but came to be used of any minor ruler] of Galilee; Philip [C another son of Herod the Great], the ·ruler [L tetrarch] of Iturea and Traconitis; and Lysanias, the ·ruler [L tetrarch] of Abilene. Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests [C Annas was the former high priest and father-in-law of Caiaphas, the official high priest]. At this time, ·the word of [a message from] God came to John son of Zechariah in the ·desert [wilderness]. He went all over the ·area [country; region] around the Jordan River preaching a baptism of ·changed hearts and lives [repentance] for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the ·book of [L book of the words/oracles of] Isaiah the prophet:

“This is a voice of one
    who ·calls out [shouts; cries out] in the ·desert [wilderness]:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
    Make ·the road straight [a clear path] for him.
Every ·valley [ravine; wadi] should be filled in,
    and every mountain and hill should be made ·flat [level; low].
·Roads with turns [L Curved/T Crooked places] should be made straight,
    and rough ·roads [paths; ways] should be made smooth.
And all ·people [humanity; T flesh] will ·know about [L see] the salvation of God [Is. 40:3–5]!’”

[L So; Therefore] To the crowds of people who came to be baptized by John, he said, “You ·are all snakes [T brood/offspring of vipers]! Who warned you to ·run [slither; L flee] away from God’s coming ·punishment [wrath; retribution]? ·Do the things [L Produce the fruit] ·that show you really have changed your hearts and lives [that prove your repentance; L of repentance]. Don’t begin to say to yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father [C a claim to be God’s special people, since their ancestor Abraham was chosen and blessed by God; Gen. 12:1–3].’ [L For] I tell you that God could ·make [L raise up] children for Abraham from these rocks. The ax ·is now ready to cut down [L already lies at the root of] the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire [C a metaphor for judgment against those who disobey God].”

10 The ·people [crowd] asked John, “Then what should we do?”

11 John answered, “If you have two ·shirts [tunics], share with the person who does not have one. If you have food, share that also [Is. 58:7].”

12 Even tax collectors came to John to be baptized [C tax collectors were despised because they worked for the Roman rulers and were notorious for corruption and extortion]. They said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”

13 John said to them, “Don’t take more taxes from people than ·you have been ordered to take [is prescribed/authorized].”

14 The soldiers asked John, “What about us? What should we do?”

John said to them, “Don’t ·force people to give you [extort] money, and don’t ·lie about them [make false accusations]. Be satisfied with the pay you get.”

15 Since the people were ·hoping [waiting expectantly] for the ·Christ [Messiah] to come, they [L all] wondered if John might be the ·one [L Christ; Messiah].

16 John answered everyone, “I baptize you with water, but there is one coming who is ·greater [more powerful; mightier] than I am. I am not ·good enough [fit; qualified] to untie [L the thong/strap of] his sandals [C a task of a servant or slave]. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 ·He will come ready [L The winnowing fork is in his hand] to ·clean the grain, separating the good grain from the chaff [L clear his threshing floor]. He will put ·the good part of the grain [L the grain/wheat] into his ·barn [storehouse], but he will burn the chaff with ·a fire that cannot be put out [never-ending/unquenchable fire; C a metaphor for judgment, when Jesus will separate the righteous from the wicked].” 18 And John continued to preach the ·Good News [Gospel], saying many other things to ·encourage [exhort] the people.

19 But John ·spoke against [criticized; rebuked] Herod [C Antipas], the ·governor [L tetrarch; 3:1], ·because of his sin with [L concerning] Herodias, the wife of Herod’s brother [C Herod had divorced his wife and illicitly married the wife of his brother Philip; Lev. 18:16], and because of the many other evil things Herod did. 20 So Herod ·did something even worse [L added this to all his sins]: He ·put [locked; shut up] John in prison.

Jesus Is Baptized by John(B)

21 When all the people were being baptized by John, Jesus also was baptized. [L And] While Jesus was praying, heaven opened 22 and the Holy Spirit came down on him in ·the form of [L bodily appearance like] a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “You are my ·Son, whom I love [dearly beloved Son; Gen. 22:2; Ps. 2:7], ·and I am very pleased with you [in whom I take great delight [Is. 42:1].”

The Family History of Jesus(C)

23 When Jesus began his ministry, he was about thirty years old. People thought that Jesus was Joseph’s son [C they were unaware of the virginal conception].

Joseph was the son of Heli [C “son” in Hebrew can mean “descendant,” so there may be gaps in the genealogy].
24 Heli was the son of Matthat.
Matthat was the son of Levi.
Levi was the son of Melki.
Melki was the son of Jannai.
Jannai was the son of Joseph.
25 Joseph was the son of Mattathias.
Mattathias was the son of Amos.
Amos was the son of Nahum.
Nahum was the son of Esli.
Esli was the son of Naggai.
26 Naggai was the son of Maath.
Maath was the son of Mattathias.
Mattathias was the son of Semein.
Semein was the son of Josech.
Josech was the son of Joda.
27 Joda was the son of Joanan.
Joanan was the son of Rhesa.
Rhesa was the son of Zerubbabel.
Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel.
Shealtiel was the son of Neri.
28 Neri was the son of Melki.
Melki was the son of Addi.
Addi was the son of Cosam.
Cosam was the son of Elmadam.
Elmadam was the son of Er.
29 Er was the son of Joshua.
Joshua was the son of Eliezer.
Eliezer was the son of Jorim.
Jorim was the son of Matthat.
Matthat was the son of Levi.
30 Levi was the son of Simeon.
Simeon was the son of Judah.
Judah was the son of Joseph.
Joseph was the son of Jonam.
Jonam was the son of Eliakim.
31 Eliakim was the son of Melea.
Melea was the son of Menna.
Menna was the son of Mattatha.
Mattatha was the son of Nathan.
Nathan was the son of David.
32 David was the son of Jesse.
Jesse was the son of Obed.
Obed was the son of Boaz.
Boaz was the son of Salmon.[a]
Salmon was the son of Nahshon.
33 Nahshon was the son of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the son of Admin.
Admin was the son of Arni.[b]
Arni was the son of Hezron.
Hezron was the son of Perez.
Perez was the son of Judah.
34 Judah was the son of Jacob.
Jacob was the son of Isaac.
Isaac was the son of Abraham.
Abraham was the son of Terah.
Terah was the son of Nahor.
35 Nahor was the son of Serug.
Serug was the son of Reu.
Reu was the son of Peleg.
Peleg was the son of Eber.
Eber was the son of Shelah.
36 Shelah was the son of Cainan.
Cainan was the son of Arphaxad.
Arphaxad was the son of Shem.
Shem was the son of Noah.
Noah was the son of Lamech.
37 Lamech was the son of Methuselah.
Methuselah was the son of Enoch.
Enoch was the son of Jared.
Jared was the son of Mahalalel.
Mahalalel was the son of Kenan.
38 Kenan was the son of Enosh.
Enosh was the son of Seth.
Seth was the son of Adam.
Adam was the son of God.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 3:32 Salmon Some Greek copies read “Sala.”
  2. Luke 3:33 Admin…Arni Some Greek copies omit Admin and Arni from the genealogy; others include the names Ram (or Aram) and/or Joram.

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

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— during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,(E) the word of God came to John(F) son of Zechariah(G) in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.(H) As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.
Every valley shall be filled in,
    every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
    the rough ways smooth.
And all people will see God’s salvation.’”[a](I)

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) 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. 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 son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat,

the son of Levi, the son of Melki,

the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,

the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,

the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath,

the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,

the son of Josek, the son of Joda,

27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa,

the son of Zerubbabel,(AI) the son of Shealtiel,

the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melki,

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,(AJ)

the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse,

the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,

the son of Salmon,[d] the son of Nahshon,

33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram,[e]

the son of Hezron, the son of Perez,(AK)

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,(AL)

35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu,

the son of Peleg, the son of Eber,

the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan,

the son of Arphaxad,(AM) the son of Shem,

the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,(AN)

37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,

the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel,

the son of Kenan,(AO) 38 the son of Enosh,

the son of Seth, the son of Adam,

the son of God.(AP)

Footnotes

  1. Luke 3:6 Isaiah 40:3-5
  2. Luke 3:16 Or in
  3. Luke 3:16 Or in
  4. Luke 3:32 Some early manuscripts Sala
  5. Luke 3:33 Some manuscripts Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni; other manuscripts vary widely.

The Preaching of John

It was the fifteenth year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar. These men were under Caesar: Pontius Pilate was the ruler of Judea. Herod was the ruler of Galilee. Philip, Herod’s brother, was the ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis. And Lysanias was the ruler of Abilene. Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time, a command from God came to John son of Zechariah. John was living in the desert. He went all over the area around the Jordan River and preached to the people. He preached a baptism of changed hearts and lives for the forgiveness of their sins. As it is written in the book of Isaiah the prophet:

“This is a voice of a man
    who calls out in the desert:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
    Make the road straight for him.
Every valley should be filled in.
    Every mountain and hill should be made flat.
Roads with turns should be made straight,
    and rough roads should be made smooth.
And all people will know about the salvation of God!’” Isaiah 40:3-5

Crowds of people came to be baptized by John. He said to them, “You poisonous snakes! Who warned you to run away from God’s anger that is coming? You must do the things that will show that you really have changed your hearts. Don’t say, ‘Abraham is our father.’ I tell you that God can make children for Abraham from these rocks here. The ax is now ready to cut down the trees. Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”[a]

10 The people asked John, “What should we do?”

11 John answered, “If you have two shirts, share with the person who does not have one. If you have food, share that too.”

12 Even tax collectors came to John to be baptized. They said to John, “Teacher, what should we do?”

13 John said to them, “Don’t take more taxes from people than you have been ordered to take.”

14 The soldiers asked John, “What about us? What should we do?”

John said to them, “Don’t force people to give you money. Don’t lie about them. Be satisfied with the pay you get.”

15 All the people were hoping for the Christ to come, and they wondered about John. They thought, “Maybe he is the Christ.”

16 John answered everyone, “I baptize you with water, but there is one coming later who can do more than I can. I am not good enough to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17 He will come ready to clean the grain. He will separate the good grain from the chaff. He will put the good part of the grain into his barn. Then he will burn the chaff with a fire that cannot be put out.”[b] 18 And John continued to preach the Good News, saying many other things to encourage the people.

19 But John spoke against Herod, the governor, because of his sin with Herodias, the wife of Herod’s brother. John also criticized Herod for the many other evil things Herod did. 20 So Herod did another evil thing: He put John in prison.

Jesus Is Baptized by John

21 When all the people were being baptized by John, Jesus also was baptized. While Jesus was praying, heaven opened and 22 the Holy Spirit came down on him. The Spirit was in the form of a dove. Then a voice came from heaven and said, “You are my Son and I love you. I am very pleased with you.”

The Family History of Jesus

23 When Jesus began to teach, he was about 30 years old. People thought that Jesus was Joseph’s son.

Joseph was the son[c] of Heli.

24 Heli was the son of Matthat.

Matthat was the son of Levi.

Levi was the son of Melki.

Melki was the son of Jannai.

Jannai was the son of Joseph.

25 Joseph was the son of Mattathias.

Mattathias was the son of Amos.

Amos was the son of Nahum.

Nahum was the son of Esli.

Esli was the son of Naggai.

26 Naggai was the son of Maath.

Maath was the son of Mattathias.

Mattathias was the son of Semein.

Semein was the son of Josech.

Josech was the son of Joda.

27 Joda was the son of Joanan.

Joanan was the son of Rhesa.

Rhesa was the son of Zerubbabel.

Zerubbabel was the grandson of Shealtiel.

Shealtiel was the son of Neri.

28 Neri was the son of Melchi.

Melchi was the son of Addi.

Addi was the son of Cosam.

Cosam was the son of Elmadam.

Elmadam was the son of Er.

29 Er was the son of Joshua.

Joshua was the son of Eliezer.

Eliezer was the son of Jorim.

Jorim was the son of Matthat.

Matthat was the son of Levi.

30 Levi was the son of Simeon.

Simeon was the son of Judah.

Judah was the son of Joseph.

Joseph was the son of Jonam.

Jonam was the son of Eliakim.

31 Eliakim was the son of Melea.

Melea was the son of Menna.

Menna was the son of Mattatha.

Mattatha was the son of Nathan.

Nathan was the son of David.

32 David was the son of Jesse.

Jesse was the son of Obed.

Obed was the son of Boaz.

Boaz was the son of Salmon.[d]

Salmon was the son of Nahshon.

33 Nahshon was the son of Amminadab.

Amminadab was the son of Admin.

Admin was the son of Arni.

Arni was the son of Hezron.

Hezron was the son of Perez.

Perez was the son of Judah.

34 Judah was the son of Jacob.

Jacob was the son of Isaac.

Isaac was the son of Abraham.

Abraham was the son of Terah.

Terah was the son of Nahor.

35 Nahor was the son of Serug.

Serug was the son of Reu.

Reu was the son of Peleg.

Peleg was the son of Eber.

Eber was the son of Shelah.

36 Shelah was the son of Cainan.

Cainan was the son of Arphaxad.

Arphaxad was the son of Shem.

Shem was the son of Noah.

Noah was the son of Lamech.

37 Lamech was the son of Methuselah.

Methuselah was the son of Enoch.

Enoch was the son of Jared.

Jared was the son of Mahalalel.

Mahalalel was the son of Kenan.

38 Kenan was the son of Enosh.

Enosh was the son of Seth.

Seth was the son of Adam.

Adam was the son of God.

Footnotes

  1. 3:9 The ax . . . fire. This means that God is ready to punish his people who do not obey him.
  2. 3:17 He will . . . out. This means that Jesus will come to separate the good people from the bad people, saving the good and punishing the bad.
  3. 3:23 son “Son” in Jewish lists of ancestors can sometimes mean grandson or more distant relative.
  4. 3:32 Salmon Some Greek copies read “Sala.”