3 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar - Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip Tetrarch of Iturea, and of the country of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the Tetrarch of Abilene
2 (when Annas and Caiaphas were the High Priests) - the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.
3 And he came into all the regions around Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,
4 as it is written in the book of the sayings of Isaiah the Prophet, which says, “The voice of him who cries in the wilderness is, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord! Make His paths straight!
5 ‘Every valley shall be filled. And every mountain and hill shall be brought low. And crooked things 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 people who had come out to be baptized by him, “O generations of vipers! Who has forewarned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 “Therefore, bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say among yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our Father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children of Abraham from these stones!
9 “Now also is the axe laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree which does not bring forth good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire!”
10 Then the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”
11 And he answered, and said to them, “The one having two coats, let him give to the one who has none. And the one who has food, let him do likewise.”
12 Then there came tax collectors to be baptized also, and said to him, “Master, what shall we do?”
13 And he said to them, “Require no more than that which is appointed to you.”
14 The soldiers likewise asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Extort no one, nor accuse anyone falsely. And be content with your wages.”
15 As the people waited expectantly, and everyone wondered in their hearts whether John was the Christ,
16 John answered, and said to them all, “Indeed, I baptize you with water! But One stronger than me comes, Whose sandals I am not worthy to unloose! He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire!
17 “His fan is in His hand, and He will make clean his floor, and will gather the wheat into His barn. But the chaff He will burn up with fire that never shall be quenched!”
18 Then, exhorting with many other things, he preached to the people.
19 But when Herod the Tetrarch was rebuked by him (for Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done),
20 he added this above all: that he shut up John in prison.
21 Now it happened that as all the people were baptized, and as Jesus was baptized and prayed, the heaven was opened.
22 And the Holy Ghost came down in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him. And there was a voice from Heaven, saying, “You are My beloved Son. In You I am well pleased.”
23 And Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age - being, as men supposed, the Son of Joseph, who was the son of Heli,
24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph,
25 the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah,
27 the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er,
29 the son of Jose, 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 Jonan, the son of Eliakim,
31 The son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the 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 Mahalalel, the son of Cainan,
38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.