The Mission of John the Baptist
(Matthew 3:1–12;Mark 1:1–8;John 1:19–28)
1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar?Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the country of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,2in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness;3and he came into all the region of the Jordan, preaching the immersion of repentance unto remission of sins;
4as it has been written inthe book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight His paths.
5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough ways smooth;
6and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
7He was saying, therefore, to the multitudes coming forth to be immersed by him, "Broods of vipers! who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?8Produce, therefore, fruits worthy of repentance; and begin not to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father'; for I say to you, that God is able out of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.9And already the axe also is lying at the root of the trees; every tree, therefore, not producing good fruit, is cut down, and cast into the fire."
10And the multitudes were asking him, saying, "What, then, shall we do?"11And he, answering, said to them, "Let him who has two coats share with him who has none; and let him who has food do likewise."12And there came also tax-collectors to be immersed, and they said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"13And he said to them, "Exact no more than that which has been appointed you."14And soldiers also were questioning him, saying, "And what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do violence to no one, neither accuse any one falsely, and be content with your wages."
15And, as the people were in expectation, and all were reasoning in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he himself were the Christ,16John answered, saying to them all, "I, indeed, immerse you in water; but He is coming, Who is mightier than I?the latchet of Whose sandals I am not worthy to loose?He will immerse you in the Holy Spirit andin fire;17Whose fanis in His hand, thoroughly to cleanse His threshing-floor, and to gather the wheat into His granary; but the chaff He will burn up with unquenchable fire."
18Therefore, indeed, exhortingthem as to many and various things, he was proclaiming the good news to the people;19but Herod, the tetrarch, being reproved by him concerning Herodias, the wife of his brother, and concerning all the evils which Herod did,20added this also tothem all, that he shut up John in prison.
The Baptism of Jesus
(Matthew 3:13–17;Mark 1:9–11;John 1:29–34)
21Now it came to pass, when all the people were immersed, that as Jesus also was immersed, and was praying, Heaven was opened,22and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form, as a dove; and a voice came out of Heaven, "Thou art My Son, the Beloved, in Whom I delighted."
The Genealogy of Jesus
(Matthew 1:1–17)
23And Jesus Himself, when beginningHis ministry, was about thirty years old, being, as was supposed, the Son of Joseph, theson of Heli,24theson of Matthat, theson of Levi, theson of Melchi, theson of Jannai, theson of Joseph,25theson of Mattathias, theson of Amos, theson of Nahum, theson of Esli, theson of Naggai,26theson of Maath, theson of Mattathias, theson of Semein, theson of Josech, theson of Joda,27theson of Joanan, theson of Rhesa, theson of Zerubbabel, theson of Shealtiel, theson of Neri,28theson of Melchi, theson of Addi, theson of Cosam, theson of Elmadam, theson of Er,29theson of Jesus, theson of Eliezer, theson of Jorim, theson of Matthat, theson of Levi,30theson of Symeon, theson of Judas, theson of Joseph, theson of Jonam, theson of Eliakim,31theson of Melea, theson of Menna, theson of Mattatha, theson of Nathan, theson of David,32theson of Jesse, theson of Obed, theson of Boaz, theson of Salmon, theson of Nahshon,33theson of Amminadab, theson of Arni, theson of Hezron, theson of Perez, theson of Judah,34theson of Jacob, theson of Isaac, theson of Abraham, theson of Terah, theson of Nahor,35theson of Serug, theson of Reu, theson of Peleg, theson of Eber, theson of Shelah,36theson of Cainan, theson of Arphaxad, theson of Shem, theson of Noah, theson of Lamech,37theson of Methuselah, theson of Enoch, theson of Jared, theson of Mahalaleel, theson of Cainan,38theson of Enos, theson of Seth, theson of Adam, theson of God.
