Matthew 3
3
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1In those days John the Baptist came and preached in the Desert of Judea. 2He said, “Turn away from your sins! The kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3John is the one Isaiah the prophet had spoken about. He had said,
“A messenger is calling out in the desert,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
Make straight paths for him.’ ” (Isaiah 40:3)
4John’s clothes were made out of camel’s hair. He had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea. They also came from the whole area around the Jordan River. 6When they confessed their sins, John baptized them in the Jordan.
7John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing. He said to them, “You are like a nest of poisonous snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming of God’s anger? 8Live in a way that shows you have turned away from your sins. 9Don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father.’ I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham even from these stones. 10The ax is ready to cut the roots of the trees. All the trees that don’t produce good fruit will be cut down. They will be thrown into the fire.
11“I baptize you with water, calling you to turn away from your sins. But after me, someone is coming who is more powerful than I am. I’m not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His pitchfork is in his hand to clear the straw from his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the storeroom. But he will burn up the husks with fire that can’t be put out.”
Jesus Is Baptized
13Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River. He wanted to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to stop him. So he told Jesus, “I need to be baptized by you. So why do you come to me?”
15Jesus replied, “Let it be this way for now. It is right for us to do this. It carries out God’s holy plan.” Then John agreed.
16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened. Jesus saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove. 17A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, and I love him. I am very pleased with him.”
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Matthew 3: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Matthew 3
3
1Now in those days comes John the baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh. 3For this is he who has been spoken of through Esaias the prophet, saying, Voice of him that crieth in the wilderness: prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. 4And John himself had his garment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins, and his nourishment was locusts and wild honey. 5Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the country round the Jordan, 6and were baptised by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
7But seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, Offspring of vipers, who has forewarned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce therefore fruit worthy of repentance. 9And do not think to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10And already the axe is applied to the root of the trees; every tree therefore not producing good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. 11I indeed baptise you with water to repentance, but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not fit to bear; he shall baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire; 12whose winnowing fan is in his hand, and he shall thoroughly purge his threshing-floor, and shall gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
13Then comes Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptised of him; 14but John urgently forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptised of thee; and comest thou to me? 15But Jesus answering said to him, Suffer it now; for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffers him. 16And Jesus, having been baptised, went up straightway from the water, and lo, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him: 17and behold, a voice out of the heavens saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.