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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Matthew 3: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Matthew 3
3
The Preaching of John the Baptist
(Mark 1.1-8; Luke 3.1-18; John 1.19-28)
1Years later, John the Baptist started preaching in the desert of Judea. 2#Mt 4.17; Mk 1.15. He said, “Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven#3.2 kingdom of heaven: In the Gospel of Matthew “kingdom of heaven” is used with the same meaning as “God's kingdom” in Mark and Luke. will soon be here.”#3.2 will soon be here: Or “is already here.”
3 # Is 40.3 (LXX). John was the one the prophet Isaiah was talking about, when he said,
“In the desert someone
is shouting,
‘Get the road ready
for the Lord!
Make a straight path
for him.’ ”
4 #
2 K 1.8. John wore clothes made of camel's hair. He had a leather strap around his waist and ate grasshoppers and wild honey.
5From Jerusalem and all Judea and from the Jordan River Valley crowds of people went to John. 6They told how sorry they were for their sins, and he baptized them in the river.
7 #
Mt 12.34; 23.33. Many Pharisees and Sadducees also came to be baptized. But John said to them:
You bunch of snakes! Who warned you to run from the coming judgment? 8Do something to show you have really given up your sins. 9#Jn 8.33. And don't start telling yourselves that you belong to Abraham's family. I tell you that God can turn these stones into children for Abraham. 10#Mt 7.19. An ax is ready to cut the trees down at their roots. Any tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into a fire.
11I baptize you with water so you will give up your sins.#3.11 so you will give up your sins: Or “because you have given up your sins.” But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to carry his sandals.#3.11 carry his sandals: This was one of the duties of a slave. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12#Ws 5.14,23. His threshing fork is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks.#3.12 His threshing fork is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks: After Jewish farmers had trampled out the grain, they used a large fork to pitch the grain and the husks into the air. Wind would blow away the light husks, and the grain would fall back to the ground, where it could be gathered up. He will store the wheat in a barn and burn the husks in a fire that never goes out.
The Baptism of Jesus
(Mark 1.9-11; Luke 3.21,22)
13Jesus left Galilee and went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. 14But John kept objecting and said, “I ought to be baptized by you. Why have you come to me?”
15Jesus answered, “For now this is how it should be, because we must do all God wants us to do.” Then John agreed.
16So Jesus was baptized. And as soon as he came out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove. 17#Gn 22.2; Ps 2.7; Is 42.1; Mt 12.18; 17.5; Mk 1.11; Lk 9.35. Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him.”
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.