14. Some soldiers also asked him, “What about us? What are we to do?”He said to them, “Don't take money from anyone by force or accuse anyone falsely. Be content with your pay.”
15. People's hopes began to rise, and they began to wonder whether John perhaps might be the Messiah.
16. So John said to all of them, “I baptize you with water, but someone is coming who is much greater than I am. I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
17. He has his winnowing shovel with him, to thresh out all the grain and gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn the chaff in a fire that never goes out.”
18. In many different ways John preached the Good News to the people and urged them to change their ways.
19. But John reprimanded Herod, the governor, because he had married Herodias, his brother's wife, and had done many other evil things.
20. Then Herod did an even worse thing by putting John in prison.
21. After all the people had been baptized, Jesus also was baptized. While he was praying, heaven was opened,