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.”