The Preaching of John the Baptist

1Now 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 was tetrarch of Abilene, 2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. 3And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; 4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,

‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE [†]LORD,

MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.

5EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED,

AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE [†]BROUGHT LOW;

THE CROOKED WILL BE STRAIGHT,

AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH.

6AND ALL [†]FLESH WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD.’”

7So he was saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say [†]to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 9But indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what should we do?” 11And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two [†]tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” 12And tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13And he said to them, “[†]Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” 14And soldiers were also questioning him, saying, “What should we also do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or extort anyone, and be content with your wages.”

15Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were reasoning in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the [†]Christ, 16John answered, saying to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water, but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the strap of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

18So with many other exhortations he proclaimed the gospel to the people. 19But when Herod the tetrarch was reproved by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the wicked things which Herod had done, 20Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.

The Baptism of Jesus

21Now it happened that when all the people were being baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

The Genealogy of Jesus

23When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, [†]as was supposed,

the son of Joseph,

[†]the son of [†]Eli,

24the son of Matthat,

the son of Levi,

the son of Melchi,

the son of Jannai,

the son of Joseph,

25the son of Mattathias,

the son of Amos,

the son of Nahum,

the son of [†]Hesli,

the son of Naggai,

26the son of Maath,

the son of Mattathias,

the son of Semein,

the son of Josech,

the son of Joda,

27the son of Joanan,

the son of Rhesa,

the son of Zerubbabel,

the son of [†]Shealtiel,

the son of Neri,

28the son of Melchi,

the son of Addi,

the son of Cosam,

the son of Elmadam,

the son of Er,

29the son of [†]Joshua,

the son of Eliezer,

the son of Jorim,

the son of Matthat,

the son of Levi,

30the son of Simeon,

the son of [†]Judah,

the son of Joseph,

the son of Jonam,

the son of Eliakim,

31the son of Melea,

the son of Menna,

the son of Mattatha,

the son of Nathan,

the son of David,

32the son of Jesse,

the son of Obed,

the son of Boaz,

the son of [†]Salmon,

the son of [†]Nahshon,

33the son of Amminadab,

the son of Admin,

the son of [†]Ram,

the son of Hezron,

the son of Perez,

the son of Judah,

34the son of Jacob,

the son of Isaac,

the son of Abraham,

the son of Terah,

the son of Nahor,

35the son of Serug,

the son of [†]Reu,

the son of Peleg,

the son of [†]Heber,

the son of Shelah,

36the son of Cainan,

the son of Arphaxad,

the son of Shem,

the son of Noah,

the son of Lamech,

37the son of Methuselah,

the son of Enoch,

the son of Jared,

the son of Mahalaleel,

the son of Cainan,

38the son of Enosh,

the son of Seth,

the son of Adam,

the son of God.