1. And in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Yehuḏah, and Herodes district ruler of Galil, and his brother Philip district ruler of Yetur and the country of Trachonitis, and Lusanias district ruler of Aḇilene,
2. Ḥanan and Qayapha being high priests, the word of Elohim came to Yoḥanan the son of Zeḵaryah in the wilderness.
3. And he went into all the neighbourhood of the Yardĕn, proclaiming an immersion of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
4. as it has been written in the book of the words of Yeshayahu the prophet, saying, “A voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of יהוה, make His paths straight.
5. ‘Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough become smooth ways,
6. and all flesh shall see the deliverance of Elohim.’ ”
7. He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be immersed by him, “Brood of adders, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8. “Therefore bear fruit worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Aḇraham as our father.’ For I say to you that Elohim is able to raise up children to Aḇraham from these stones.