Luke 3:1-8 ▼

1 In the fifteenth year of the emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea; Herod tetrarch of Gallilee: Philip his brother tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis: and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene:

2 under the pontificate of Annas and Caiaphas, JOHN, the son of Zacharias, received his divine commission in the wilderness.

3 in pursuance of which, he went into all the country about Jordan, exhorting all to repent and be baptized, in order to obtain the remission of their sins.

4 as it is written in the book of the prophecies of Esaias, "the voice of one crying in the desart, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths clear.

5 every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be level'd: the crooked shall be made strait, and the rough ways shall be made smooth,

6 and all men shall behold the divine saviour."

7 he said therefore to the people that crowded to be baptized by him, ye brood of vipers, who has prompted you to flee from approaching wrath?

8 let your actions therefore show your repentance, and don't pretend to say within yourselves, "we have Abraham for our father:" for I tell you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.