1. 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 the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
2. in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to Yochanan, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.
3. He came into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming the immersion of repentance for remission of sins.
4. As it is written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet,“The voice of one crying in the wilderness,‘Make ready the way of the Lord.Make his paths straight.
5. Every valley will be filled.Every mountain and hill will be brought low.The crooked will become straight,and the rough ways smooth.
6. All flesh will see God’s salvation.’”
7. He said therefore to the multitudes who went out to be immersed by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8. Therefore produce fruits worthy of repentance, and don’t begin to say amongst yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father;’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones!
9. Even now the axe also lies at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.”
10. The multitudes asked him, “What then must we do?”
11. He answered them, “He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none. He who has food, let him do likewise.”
12. Tax collectors also came to be immersed, and they said to him, “Rabbi, what must we do?”