Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁴ Everything that is in the holy writings was written to teach us. They give hope and strength when we have troubles. The holy writings comfort our hearts.

⁵ God gives people power to take their troubles and he comforts their hearts. I ask him to help you to think the same way as Christ did.

⁶ Then, together you will praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷ So, accept one another, as Christ has accepted you. Then people will know that God is great.

⁸ What I say is this. Christ came to serve the Jews. He did this to prove that what God said was true. He proved that God kept his promises to the fathers.

⁹ He did this so that people who are not Jews would praise God because he is kind. The holy writings say, `So I will praise you among the people who are not Jews. I will sing songs to your name.'

¹⁰ The holy writings also say, `People who are not Jews, be glad with those who are God's people.'

¹¹ And they also say, `People who are not Jews, praise the Lord. All peoples should praise him.'

¹² Also, Isaiah says, `Someone from Jesse's family will come. He will come to rule the people who are not Jews. People who are not Jews will have hope in him.'

¹³ God gives hope. May he make you very happy. May he give you peace because you believe. Then the power of the Holy Spirit will give you much hope.

3 After some years had passed, John the Baptizer came and told God's word in the desert of Judea.

² He said, `Stop doing wrong things and turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven is almost here.'

³ This is the man that Isaiah the prophet of God spoke about long ago. He said, `A man is calling in the wilderness, "Make the way ready for the Lord. Make the road straight for him." '

⁴ John wore clothes made of camel's hair and a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild honey.

⁵ People went to him from Jerusalem, from all of Judea, and from all the country near the Jordan River.

⁶ He baptised them in the Jordan River when they said how sorry they were for the wrong things they had done.

⁷ Many of the Pharisee group and the Sadducee group came to him to be baptised. But when he saw them, he said to them, `You family of snakes! Who told you to run away from God's anger that is coming?

⁸ Stop your wrong ways to show that you have turned back to God.

⁹ Do not think you can say to your-selves, "Abraham is our father." I tell you, God can make children for Abraham from these stones.

¹⁰ The axe is ready to cut down the trees. Every tree that does not have good fruit is cut down and thrown into a fire.

¹¹ `I baptise you with water when you stop your wrong ways. But another person is coming after me. He is greater than I am. I am not good enough to take off his shoes. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

¹² He has a cleaning fan in his hand and will fan his grain very clean. He will put the grain into his storehouse. But he will burn the chaff in the fire that never dies.'