Matthew 3 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

The Preaching of John the Baptist

3 Years later, John the Baptist started preaching in the desert of Judea. ² He said, “Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven^[a] will soon be here.”^[b]

³ John was the one the prophet Isaiah was talking about, when he said,

⁴ John wore clothes made of camel’s hair. He had a leather strap around his waist and ate grasshoppers and wild honey.

⁵ From Jerusalem and all Judea and from the Jordan River Valley crowds of people went to John. ⁶ They told how sorry they were for their sins, and he baptized them in the river.

⁷ Many Pharisees and Sadducees also came to be baptized. But John said to them:

The Baptism of Jesus

¹³ Jesus left Galilee and went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John kept objecting and said, “I ought to be baptized by you. Why have you come to me?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered, “For now this is how it should be, because we must do all that God wants us to do.” Then John agreed.

¹⁶ So Jesus was baptized. And as soon as he came out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove. ¹⁷ Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him.”