1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, *Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 while *Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to *John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3 *And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance *for the remission of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

*"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord;

Make His paths straight.

5 Every valley shall be filled

And every mountain and hill brought low;

The crooked places shall be made straight

And the rough ways smooth;

6 And *all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ "

7 Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, *"Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits *worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 9 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore *every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

10 So the people asked him, saying, *"What shall we do then?"

11 He answered and said to them, *"He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, *let him do likewise."

12 Then *tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"

13 And he said to them, *"Collect no more than what is appointed for you."

14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?"

So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone *or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."

15 Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, 16 John answered, saying to all, *"I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will *baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and *gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."

18 And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. 19 *But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.

21 When all the people were baptized, *it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am *well pleased."

23 Now Jesus Himself began Hisministryat*about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) *the son of Joseph, theson of Heli, 24 theson of Matthat, theson of Levi, theson of Melchi, theson of Janna, theson of Joseph, 25 theson of Mattathiah, theson of Amos, theson of Nahum, theson of Esli, theson of Naggai, 26 theson of Maath, theson of Mattathiah, theson of Semei, theson of Joseph, theson of Judah, 27 theson of Joannas, theson of Rhesa, theson of *Zerubbabel, theson of Shealtiel, theson of Neri, 28 theson of Melchi, theson of Addi, theson of Cosam, theson of Elmodam, theson of Er, 29 theson of Jose, theson of Eliezer, theson of Jorim, theson of Matthat, theson of Levi, 30 theson of Simeon, theson of Judah, theson of Joseph, theson of Jonan, theson of Eliakim, 31 theson of Melea, theson of Menan, theson of Mattathah, theson of *Nathan, *the son of David, 32 *theson of Jesse, theson of Obed, theson of Boaz, theson of Salmon, theson of Nahshon, 33 theson of Amminadab, theson of Ram, theson of Hezron, theson of Perez, theson of Judah, 34 theson of Jacob, theson of Isaac, theson of Abraham, *theson of Terah, theson of Nahor, 35 theson of Serug, theson of Reu, theson of Peleg, theson of Eber, theson of Shelah, 36 *theson of Cainan, theson of *Arphaxad, *theson of Shem, theson of Noah, theson of Lamech, 37 theson of Methuselah, theson of Enoch, theson of Jared, theson of Mahalalel, theson of Cainan, 38 theson of Enosh, theson of Seth, theson of Adam, *theson of God.