John the Baptist Prepares the Way
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In the fifteenth year of the reign of 1Tiberius Caesar, 2Pontius Pilate 3being governor of Judea, and 4Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
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during 5the high priesthood of Annas and 6Caiaphas, 7the word of God came to 8John the son of Zechariah in 9the wilderness.
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And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming 10a baptism of repentance 11for the forgiveness of sins.
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As it is written in 12the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, 13"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 14'Prepare the way of the Lord,a make his paths straight.
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15Every valley shall be filled, 16and every mountain and hill shall be made low, 17and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways,
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He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, 20"You brood of 21vipers! Who warned you to flee from 22the wrath to come?
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Bear fruits 23in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 24'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from 25these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
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Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. 26Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
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And the crowds asked him, 27"What then shall we do?"
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And he answered them, 28"Whoever has two tunicsb is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise."
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And he said to them, 31"Collect no more than you are authorized to do."
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Soldiers also asked him, "And we, 32what shall we do?" And he said to them, 33"Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your 34wages."
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As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, 35whether he might be 36the Christ,
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37John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but 38he who is mightier than I is coming, 39the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you 40with the Holy Spirit and with 41fire.
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His 42winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to 43gather the wheat into his barn, 44but the chaff he will burn with 45unquenchable fire."
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So 46with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.
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But 47Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done,
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added this to them all, that 48he locked up John in prison.
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Now when all the people were baptized, and when 49Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, 50the heavens were opened,
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and 51the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and 52a voice came from heaven, 53"You are my beloved Son;c with you I am well pleased."d
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
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Jesus, 54when he began his ministry, was about 55thirty years of age, being 56the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,
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the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
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the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
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the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
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the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, 57the son of Zerubbabel, the son 58of Shealtiel,e the son of Neri,
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the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
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the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
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the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
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the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of 59Nathan, the son of David,
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60the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon,
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the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
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61the son of Jacob, 62the son of Isaac, 63the son of Abraham, 64the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
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the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,
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the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
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the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,
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the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
(English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online)