Matthew 3

¹Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

²and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn near.

³For this is he who was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’

⁴Now John himself had his garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

⁵Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan were going out to him,

⁶and they were being baptized in the Jordan River by him, confessing their sins.

⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

⁸Produce therefore fruit worthy of repentance,

⁹And do not presume to say within yourselves, 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 already the ax is laid to the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹¹I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but the one coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry; he himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

¹²His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.

¹³Then Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan, to John, to be baptized by him.

¹⁴But John was trying to prevent him, saying, I myself have need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?

¹⁵But Jesus answering said to him, Permit it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he permits him.

¹⁶And Jesus, having been baptized, immediately went up from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him.

¹⁷And behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.