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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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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Matthew 3
3
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1In those days #Matt. 3:1–12; Mark 1:3–8; Luke 3:2–17; John 1:6–8, 19–28John the Baptist came preaching #Josh. 14:10in the wilderness of Judea, 2and saying, “Repent, for #Dan. 2:44; Mal. 4:6; Matt. 4:17; Mark 1:15; Luke 1:17; 10:9; 11:20; 21:31the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
#Is. 40:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
#Luke 1:76‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”
4Now #2 Kin. 1:8; Zech. 13:4; Matt. 11:8; Mark 1:6John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was #Lev. 11:22locusts and #1 Sam. 14:25, 26wild honey. 5#Mark 1:5Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6#Acts 19:4, 18and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, #Matt. 12:34; Luke 3:7–9“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from #(Rom. 5:9; 1 Thess. 1:10)the wrath to come? 8Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9and do not think to say to yourselves, #John 8:33; Acts 13:26; (Rom. 4:1, 11, 16; Gal. 3:29)‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. #(Ps. 92:12–14); Matt. 7:19; Luke 13:7, 9; (John 15:6)Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11#Mark 1:4, 8; Luke 3:16; John 1:26; Acts 1:5I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. #(Is. 4:4; John 20:22; Acts 2:3, 4; 1 Cor. 12:13)He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12#Mal. 3:3His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will #Mal. 4:1; Matt. 13:30burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
John Baptizes Jesus
13#Matt. 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21, 22; John 1:31–34Then Jesus came #Matt. 2:22from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”
15But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.
16#Mark 1:10When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw #(Is. 11:2); Luke 3:22; John 1:32; Acts 7:56the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17#John 12:28And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, #Ps. 2:7; Is. 42:1; Mark 1:11; Luke 1:35; 9:35; Col. 1:13“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.