1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was 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 into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

4As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “A voice of one calling out in the wilderness,
'Make ready the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.

5Every valley will be filled,
and every mountain and hill will be made low,
and the crooked roads will be made straight,
and the uneven places will be built into roads,

6and all flesh will see the salvation of God.'”

7So John said to the crowds who were coming out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to run away from the wrath that is coming?

8Therefore, produce fruits that are worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father,' for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones.

9Even now the ax is set against the root of the trees. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.”

10Then the crowds kept asking him, saying, “What then are we to do?”

11He answered and said to them, “If someone has two tunics, he should share it with a person who has none, and the one having food should do the same.”

12Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what must we do?”

13He said to them, “Do not collect more money than you have been ordered to collect.”

14Some soldiers also asked him, saying, “What about us? What must we do?” He said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, and do not accuse anyone falsely. Be content with your wages.”

15Now as the people were eagerly expecting the Christ to come, everyone was wondering in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ.

16John answered by saying to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water, but someone is coming who is more powerful than I, and I am not worthy even 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 thoroughly clear off his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse. But he will burn up the chaff with fire that can never be put out.”

18With many other exhortations also, John preached good news to the people.

19When Herod the tetrarch had been reproved for marrying his brother's wife Herodias, and for all the other evil things that Herod had done,

20he added this to them all, that he locked John up in prison.

21Now it came about, when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized, and while he was praying, the heavens opened,

22and the Holy Spirit in bodily form came down on him like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, whom I love. I am pleased with you.”

23When Jesus began his ministry, he was about thirty years of age. He was the son (as it was assumed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,

24the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph.

25Joseph was the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,

26the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda.

27Joda was the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, the son of Neri,

28the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

29the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi.

30Levi was the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

31the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

32the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon.

33Nahshon was the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

34the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

35the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah.

36Shelah was the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,

38the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.