John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of [ch. 2:1] Tiberius Caesar, See Matt. 27:2Pontius Pilate ch. 2:2being governor of Judea, and ver. 3:19;ch. 8:3;9:7,9;13:31;23:7;Matt. 14:1;Acts 4:27;13:1;[Mark 6:14]Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during John 18:13,24;Acts 4:6the high priesthood of Annas and See Matt. 26:3Caiaphas, For ver. 2-17, see Matt. 3:1-12;Mark 1:2-8the word of God came to John 1:6,7John the son of Zechariah in ch. 1:80;Josh. 15:61;[Judg. 1:16]the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming Acts 2:38a baptism of repentance Matt. 26:28;[ch. 1:77]for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in ch. 4:17;[Acts 8:28] the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
John 1:23;Cited from Isa. 40:3-5"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
ch. 1:76‘Prepare the way of the Lord,3:4 Or crying, Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord
make his paths straight.
5 [Isa. 57:14] Every valley shall be filled,
Isa. 49:11;Zech. 4:7and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
Isa. 42:16;45:2and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
6 Isa. 52:10;[Ps. 98:2,3] and all flesh shall see ch. 2:30;Acts 28:28;[ch. 1:69, 71, 77;Titus 2:11]the salvation of God.’"
7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, Matt. 12:34;23:33"You brood of Ps. 140:3vipers! Who warned you to flee from Rom. 5:9;Eph. 5:6;Col. 3:6;1 Thess. 1:10the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits Acts 26:20in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, John 8:39‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from [ch. 4:3]these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. ch. 13:7,9;Matt. 7:19;John 15:2,6Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
10 And the crowds asked him, Acts 2:37;16:30;22:10"What then shall we do?" 11 And he answered them, Isa. 58:7;Dan. 4:27;Eph. 4:28;James 2:15,16;1 John 3:17;[ch. 18:22]"Whoever has two tunics3:11 Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise." 12 ch. 7:29;Matt. 21:32Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, "Teacher, [See ver. 10above]what shall we do?" 13 And he said to them, ch. 19:8"Collect no more than you are authorized to do." 14 Soldiers also asked him, "And we, [See ver. 10above] what shall we do?" And he said to them, [See ver. 13above] "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your 1 Cor. 9:7(Gk.)wages."
15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, John 1:19,20whether he might be See Matt. 1:17the Christ, 16 John 1:26;Acts 1:5John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but John 1:15,27;3:30,31;Acts 13:25he who is mightier than I is coming, Isa. 5:27the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you John 1:33;Acts 11:16with the Holy Spirit and [Mal. 3:2,3;Acts 2:3]fire. 17 His Isa. 30:24winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to Matt. 13:30gather the wheat into his barn, Mal. 4:1but the chaff he will burn with Mark 9:43,48unquenchable fire."
18 So [John 20:30;21:25]with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. 19 But Matt. 14:3;Mark 6:17,18; See ver. 1Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added this to them all, that [John 3:24]he locked up John in prison.
21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when For ver. 21, 22, see Matt. 3:13-17;Mark 1:9-11;[John 1:32-34] Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, Acts 7:56the heavens were opened, 22 and [ch. 4:18,21;Acts 10:38] the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and John 12:28a voice came from heaven, [ch. 9:35;Ps. 2:7;Isa. 42:1;Eph. 1:6;Col. 1:13;2 Pet. 1:17;1 John 5:9]"You are my beloved Son;3:22 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved with you I am well pleased."3:22 Some manuscripts beloved Son; today I have begotten you
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
23 Jesus, Matt. 4:17;Acts 1:1,22when he began his ministry, was about [Num. 4:3] thirty years of age, being ch. 4:22;Matt. 13:55;John 1:45;6:42;For ver. 23-38, [Matt. 1:1-16]the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, Matt. 1:12the son of Zerubbabel, the son Ezra 3:2of Shealtiel,3:27 Greek Salathiel the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of 2 Sam. 5:14;1 Chr. 3:5;14:4;Zech. 12:12Nathan, the son of David, 32 1 Sam. 16:1;17:12;[Ruth 4:18-22;1 Chr. 2:1-15]the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 Gen. 29:35the son of Jacob, Gen. 25:26the son of Isaac, Gen. 21:3the son of Abraham, For ver. 34-38, see Gen. 5:3-32;11:10-26;1 Chr. 1:1-4,24-27the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.