John’s mission and preaching. Christ is baptized by him.

¹ Then, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being procurator of Judea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

² under the high priests Annas and Caiaphas: the word of the Lord came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.

³ And he went into the entire region of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,

⁴ just as it has been written in the book of the sermons of the prophet Isaiah: “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight his paths.

⁵ Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low. And what is crooked shall be made straight. And the rough paths shall be made into level ways.

⁶ And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

⁷ Therefore, he said to the crowd that went out in order to be baptized by him: “You progeny of vipers! Who told you to flee from the approaching wrath?

⁸ So then, produce fruits worthy of repentance. And do not begin to say, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God has the power to raise up sons to Abraham from these stones.

⁹ For even now the axe has been placed at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that does not produce good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire.”

¹⁰ And the crowed was questioning him, saying, “What then should we do?”

¹¹ But in response, he said to them: “Whoever has two coats, let him give to those who do not have. And whoever has food, let him act similarly.”

¹² Now the tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”

¹³ But he said to them, “You should do nothing more than what has been appointed to you.”

¹⁴ Then the soldiers also questioned him, saying, “And what should we do?” And he said to them: “You should strike no one, and you should not make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”

¹⁵ Now all were thinking about John in their hearts, and the people were supposing that perhaps he might be the Christ.

¹⁶ John responded by saying to everyone: “Indeed, I baptize you with water. But there will arrive one stronger than me, the laces of whose shoes I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit, and with fire.

¹⁷ His winnowing fan is in his hand. And he will purify his threshing floor. And he will gather the wheat into the barn. But the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

¹⁸ Indeed, he also proclaimed many other things, exhorting the people.

¹⁹ But Herod the tetrarch, when he was corrected by him concerning Herodias, his brother’s wife, and concerning all the evils that Herod had done,

²⁰ added this also, above all else: that he confined John to prison.

²¹ Now it happened that, when all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized; and as he was praying, heaven was opened.

²² And the Holy Spirit, in a corporal appearance like a dove, descended upon him. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son. In you, I am well pleased.”

²³ And Jesus himself was beginning to be about thirty years old, being (as it was supposed) the son of Joseph, who was of Heli, who was of Matthat,¹²

1. 3:23The word ‘incipiens’ is accusative, not ablative. So this verse does not say, ‘Jesus was, in the beginning (of his ministry) about thirty years old....’ Rather, it says, ‘Jesus was beginning (to be) about thirty years of age....’ In other words, he was not yet, but about to be, thirty years old.(Conte)
2. 3:23Who was of Heli: St. Joseph, who by nature was the son of Jacob, (St. Matt. 1. 16,) in the account of the law, was son of Heli. For Heli and Jacob were brothers, by the same mother; and Heli, who was the elder, dying without issue, Jacob, as the law directed, married his widow: in consequence of such marriage, his son Joseph was reputed in the law the son of Heli.(Challoner)

²⁴ who was of Levi, who was of Melchi, who was of Jannai, who was of Joseph,

²⁵ who was of Mattathias, who was of Amos, who was of Nahum, who was of Esli, who was of Naggai,

²⁶ who was of Maath, who was of Mattathias, who was of Semein, who was of Josech, who was of Joda,

²⁷ who was of Joanan, who was of Rhesa, who was of Zerubbabel, who was of Shealtiel, who was of Neri,

²⁸ who was of Melchi, who was of Addi, who was of Cosam, who was of Elmadam, who was of Er,

²⁹ who was of Joshua, who was of Eliezer, who was of Jorim, who was of Matthat, who was of Levi,

³⁰ who was of Simeon, who was of Judah, who was of Joseph, who was of Jonam, who was of Eliakim,

³¹ who was of Melea, who was of Menna, who was of Mattatha, who was of Nathan, who was of David,

³² who was of Jesse, who was of Obed, who was of Boaz, who was of Salmon, who was of Nahshon,

³³ who was of Amminadab, who was of Aram, who was of Hezron, who was of Perez, who was of Judah,

³⁴ who was of Jacob, who was of Isaac, who was of Abraham, who was of Terah, who was of Nahor,

³⁵ who was of Serug, who was of Reu, who was of Peleg, who was of Eber, who was of Shelah,

³⁶ who was of Cainan, who was of Arphaxad, who was of Shem, who was of Noah, who was of Lamech,

³⁷ who was of Methuselah, who was of Enoch, who was of Jared, who was of Mahalalel, who was of Cainan,

³⁸ who was of Enos, who was of Seth, who was of Adam, who was of God.