4. as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight!
5. Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be leveled, and the crooked will become straight, and the rough road will become smooth,
6. and all flesh will see the salvation of God.’ ”
7. Therefore he was saying to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8. Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!
9. And even now the ax is positioned at the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10. And the crowds were asking him, saying, “What then should we do?”
11. And he answered and said to them, “The one who has two tunics must share with the one who does not have one, and the one who has food must do likewise.”
12. And tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13. And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you are ordered to.”
14. And those who served in the army were also asking him, saying, “What should we also do?” And he said to them, “Extort from no one, and do not blackmail anyone, and be content with your pay.”
15. And while the people were waiting expectantly and all were pondering in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he might be the Christ,
16. John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but the one who is more powerful than I am is coming, of whom I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
17. His winnowing shovel is in his hand, to clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
18. So with many other exhortations also he proclaimed good news to the people.
19. But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him concerning Herodias, his brother’s wife, and concerning all the evil deeds that Herod had done,
20. added this also to them all: he also locked up John in prison.
21. Now it happened that when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized, and while he was praying, heaven was opened,
22. and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
23. And Jesus, when he began his ministry, was himself about thirty years old, being the son (as it was believed) of Joseph the son of Eli,
24. the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,