^aEn aquellos días llegó* Juan el Bautista predicando en el desierto de Judea^b, diciendo: 2 Arrepentíos^a, porque el reino de los cielos^b se ha acercado. 3 Porque este es aquel a quien se refirió el¹ profeta Isaías, diciendo:VOZ DEL QUE CLAMA EN EL DESIERTO:«PREPARAD EL CAMINO DEL SEÑOR,HACED DERECHAS SUS SENDAS^a». 4 Y él, Juan, tenía un¹ vestido de pelo de camello y un cinto de cuero a la cintura^a; y su comida era de langostas^2b y miel silvestre. 5 Acudía entonces a él Jerusalén, toda Judea y toda la región alrededor del Jordán^a; 6 y confesando sus pecados, eran bautizados^a por él en el río Jordán. 7 Pero cuando vio que muchos de los fariseos^a y saduceos^b venían para el bautismo, les dijo: ¡Camada de víboras^c! ¿Quién os enseñó a huir de la ira que vendrá^d? 8 Por tanto, dad frutos dignos de arrepentimiento^a; 9 y no presumáis que podéis deciros a vosotros mismos: «Tenemos a Abraham por padre^a», porque os digo que Dios puede levantar hijos a Abraham de estas piedras. 10 Y el hacha ya está puesta a la raíz de los árboles; por tanto, todo árbol que no da buen fruto es cortado y echado al fuego^a. 11 Yo a la verdad os bautizo con¹ agua para arrepentimiento^a, pero el que viene detrás de mí es más poderoso que yo, a quien no soy digno de quitarle las sandalias; Él os bautizará^b con² el Espíritu Santo y con fuego. 12 El bieldo está en su mano^a y limpiará completamente su era; y recogerá su trigo en el granero^b, pero quemará la paja en fuego inextinguible^c.

13 ^aEntonces Jesús llegó* de Galilea^b al Jordán, a donde estaba Juan, para ser bautizado por él. 14 Pero Juan trató de impedírselo, diciendo: Yo necesito ser bautizado por ti, ¿y tú vienes a mí? 15 Y respondiendo Jesús, le dijo: Permítelo ahora; porque es conveniente que cumplamos así toda justicia^a. Entonces Juan se lo permitió*. 16 Después de ser bautizado, Jesús salió del agua inmediatamente; y he aquí, los cielos se abrieron, y él¹ vio al Espíritu de Dios que descendía como una paloma y venía sobre Él^a. 17 Y he aquí, se oyó una voz de los cielos que decía: Este es mi Hijo amado¹ en quien me he complacido^a.

Now ^ain those days ^bJohn the Baptist *¹came, ²preaching in the ^cwilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “^aRepent, for ^bthe kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 For this is the ^aone referred to ¹by Isaiah the prophet when he said,“^bTHE VOICE OF ONE ²CALLING ³OUT IN THE WILDERNESS,‘^cPREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD,MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!’” 4 Now John himself had ^1aa garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was ^blocusts and wild honey. 5 At that time Jerusalem ^awas going out to him, and all Judea and all ^bthe region around the Jordan; 6 and they were being ^abaptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the ^aPharisees and ^bSadducees coming for ¹baptism, he said to them, “You ^2coffspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from ^dthe wrath to come? 8 ^aTherefore produce fruit ^bconsistent with repentance; 9 and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘^aWe have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham. 10 And the ^aaxe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, ^bevery tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “As for me, ^aI baptize you ¹with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; ^bHe will baptize you ²with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His ^awinnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will ^bgather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the ^cchaff with ^dunquenchable fire.”

13 ^aThen Jesus *arrived ^bfrom Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have the need to be baptized by You, and yet You are coming to me?” 15 But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us ^ato fulfill all righteousness.” Then he *allowed Him. 16 After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and ^1ahe saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and ²settling on Him, 17 and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “^aThis is ¹My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Now ^ain those days ^bJohn the Baptist *¹came, ²preaching in the ^cwilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “^aRepent, for ^bthe kingdom of heaven ¹is at hand.” 3 For this is the ^aone referred to ¹by Isaiah the prophet when he said,“^bTHE VOICE OF ONE ²CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,‘^cMAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD,MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!’” 4 Now John himself had ^1aa garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was ^blocusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem ^awas going out to him, and all Judea and all ^bthe district around the Jordan; 6 and they were being ^abaptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the ^aPharisees and ^bSadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You ^cbrood of vipers, who warned you to flee from ^dthe wrath to come? 8 ^aTherefore bear fruit ^bin keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘^aWe have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 10 The ^aaxe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore ^bevery tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “As for me, ^aI baptize you ¹with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; ^bHe will baptize you ²with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His ^awinnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will ^bgather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the ^cchaff with ^dunquenchable fire.”

13 ^aThen Jesus *arrived ^bfrom Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” 15 But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us ^ato fulfill all righteousness.” Then he *permitted Him. 16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and ^1ahe saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and ²lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “^aThis is ¹My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”