11. John answered, “If you have two shirts, share with the person who does not have one. If you have food, share that too.”
12. Even tax collectors came to John to be baptized. They said to John, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13. John said to them, “Don’t take more taxes from people than you have been ordered to take.”
14. The soldiers asked John, “What about us? What should we do?”John said to them, “Don’t force people to give you money. Don’t lie about them. Be satisfied with the pay you get.”
15. All the people were hoping for the Christ to come, and they wondered about John. They thought, “Maybe he is the Christ.”
16. John answered everyone, “I baptize you with water, but there is one coming later who can do more than I can. I am not good enough to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
17. He will come ready to clean the grain. He will separate the good grain from the chaff. He will put the good part of the grain into his barn. Then he will burn the chaff with a fire that cannot be put out.”
18. And John continued to preach the Good News, saying many other things to encourage the people.
19. But John spoke against Herod, the governor, because of his sin with Herodias, the wife of Herod’s brother. John also criticized Herod for the many other evil things Herod did.