Matthew 3
”In
those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of
Judea,
2 ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
3 For this is he who was spoken of by the
prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of THE LORD;
make HIS paths straight.’”
4 Now John wore a garment of
camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts
and wild honey.
5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and
all the region about the Jordan were going out to him,
6 and they were baptized by him in
the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the
Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them,
‘You
brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bear fruit in keeping with
repentance.
9 And do not presume to say to
yourselves,
‘We
have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, GOD is able from these stones to raise up
children for Abraham.
10 Even now the axe is laid to the
root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is
cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 ‘I baptize you with water for
repentance, but HE who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose
sandals I am not worthy to carry. HE will baptize you with THE HOLY SPIRIT
and fire.
12 HIS winnowing fork is in HIS
hand, and HE will clear HIS threshing floor and gather HIS wheat into the
barn, but the chaff HE will burn with unquenchable fire.’
The
Baptism of Jesus
13 Then JESUS came from Galilee to the
Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.
14 John would have prevented HIM,
saying,
‘I
need to be baptized by YOU, and do YOU come to me?’
15 But
JESUS
answered him, ‘
‘Let
it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ Then he consented.
16 And when JESUS was baptized,
immediately HE 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 to rest on HIM;
17 and behold, a voice from
heaven said,
‘This
is MY BELOVED SON
with WHOM I am well pleased.’”
