Matthew 3
3
John Prepares the Way for Jesus
(Mk. 1:1–8; Lk. 3:1–9, 15–17; Jn. 1:19–28)
1When it was the right time, John the Baptizer began telling people a message from God. This was out in the desert area of Judea. 2John said, “Change your hearts and lives, because God’s kingdom is now very near.#3:2 is now very near Or “is coming soon” or “has come.”” 3John is the one Isaiah the prophet was talking about when he said,
“There is someone shouting in the desert:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
Make the road straight for him.’” Isaiah 40:3
4John’s clothes were made from camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. For food, he ate locusts and wild honey. 5People came to John from Jerusalem and the rest of Judea and from all the areas along the Jordan River. 6They confessed the bad things they had done, and John baptized them in the Jordan.
7Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to where John was baptizing people. When John saw them, he said, “You are all snakes! Who warned you to run from God’s judgment that is coming? 8Change your hearts! And show by the way you live that you have changed. 9I know what you are thinking. You want to say, ‘but Abraham is our father!’ That means nothing. I tell you, God could make children for Abraham from these rocks. 10The ax is now ready to cut down the trees.#3:10 trees The people who don’t obey God. They are like “trees” that will be cut down. Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11“I baptize you with water to show that you have changed your hearts and lives. But there is someone coming later who is able to do more than I can. I am not good enough to be the slave who takes off his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12He will come ready to clean the grain.#3:12 clean the grain Meaning that Jesus will separate the good people from those who are bad. He will separate the good grain from the straw, and he will put the good part into his barn. Then he will burn the useless part with a fire that cannot be stopped.”
Jesus Is Baptized by John
(Mk. 1:9–11; Lk. 3:21–22)
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River. He came to John, wanting John to baptize him. 14But John tried to stop him. John said, “Why do you come to me to be baptized? I should be baptized by you!”
15Jesus answered, “Let it be this way for now. We should do whatever God says is right.” Then John agreed.
16So Jesus was baptized. As soon as he came up out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw God’s Spirit coming down on him like a dove. 17A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the one I love. I am very pleased with him.”
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Matthew 3
3
1Now in those days comes John the baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 2and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh. 3For this is he who has been spoken of through Esaias the prophet, saying, Voice of him that crieth in the wilderness: prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. 4And John himself had his garment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins, and his nourishment was locusts and wild honey. 5Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the country round the Jordan, 6and were baptised by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
7But seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, Offspring of vipers, who has forewarned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce therefore fruit worthy of repentance. 9And do not think to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10And already the axe is applied to the root of the trees; every tree therefore not producing good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. 11I indeed baptise you with water to repentance, but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not fit to bear; he shall baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire; 12whose winnowing fan is in his hand, and he shall thoroughly purge his threshing-floor, and shall gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
13Then comes Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptised of him; 14but John urgently forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptised of thee; and comest thou to me? 15But Jesus answering said to him, Suffer it now; for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffers him. 16And Jesus, having been baptised, went up straightway from the water, and lo, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him: 17and behold, a voice out of the heavens saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.