John Preaches in the Wilderness
1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. 3He went through the whole region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5Every ravine will be filled in, every mountain and hill leveled; the crooked roads will be made straight and the rough ones smooth, 6and all flesh will see the salvation of God.” 7So he said to the crowds that were coming out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to run from the wrath that is coming? 8Produce fruit worthy of repentance, and do not start telling yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham out of these stones. 9The axe is already lying at the root of the trees; every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
What Should We Do?
10The crowds kept asking him, “Then what should we do?” 11He answered them, “Whoever has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.” 12Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13He told them, “Collect nothing beyond what you have been ordered to.” 14Soldiers too asked him, “And what about us? What should we do?” He said to them, “Do not shake anyone down, do not accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your pay.” 15The people were full of expectation, and everyone was turning over in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. 16John answered them all, “I baptize you with water, but one stronger than I is coming, and I am not fit to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn with fire that cannot be put out.” 18With many other appeals he announced the good news to the people. 19But Herod the tetrarch, rebuked by him over Herodias, his brother’s wife, and over all the evil things Herod had done, 20added this to them all: he shut John up in prison.
The Baptism of Jesus
21When all the people were being baptized, and Jesus too had been baptized and was praying, heaven opened 22and the Holy Spirit came down on him in bodily form, like a dove, and a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, the beloved; in you I take delight.”
The Ancestry of Jesus
23Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began. He was the son, as people supposed, of Joseph, son of Heli, 24son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Jannai, son of Joseph, 25son of Mattathias, son of Amos, son of Nahum, son of Esli, son of Naggai, 26son of Maath, son of Mattathias, son of Semein, son of Josech, son of Joda, 27son of Joanan, son of Rhesa, son of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, son of Neri, 28son of Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosam, son of Elmadam, son of Er, 29son of Joshua, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Matthat, son of Levi, 30son of Simeon, son of Judah, son of Joseph, son of Jonam, son of Eliakim, 31son of Melea, son of Menna, son of Mattatha, son of Nathan, son of David, 32son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Boaz, son of Salmon, son of Nahshon, 33son of Amminadab, son of Admin, son of Arni, son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of Judah, 34son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of Terah, son of Nahor, 35son of Serug, son of Reu, son of Peleg, son of Eber, son of Shelah, 36son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of Noah, son of Lamech, 37son of Methuselah, son of Enoch, son of Jared, son of Mahalalel, son of Cainan, 38son of Enosh, son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God.
