Luke 2:41-3:20

New International Version

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover.^{(A) 42} When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. ⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ Everyone who heard him was amazed^(B) at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother^(C) said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father^(D) and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”^{[a](E) 50} But they did not understand what he was saying to them.^(F)

⁵¹ Then he went down to Nazareth with them^(G) and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.^{(H) 52} And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.^(I)

John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(J)(K)

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate^(L) was governor of Judea, Herod^(M) tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— ² during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,^(N) the word of God came to John^(O) son of Zechariah^(P) in the wilderness. ³ He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.^{(Q) 4} As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

⁷ John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers!^(S) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{(T) 8} Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^(U) For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ⁹ The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”^(V)

¹⁰ “What should we do then?”^(W) the crowd asked.

¹¹ John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”^(X)

¹² Even tax collectors came to be baptized.^(Y) “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

¹³ “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,”^(Z) he told them.

¹⁴ Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely^(AA)—be content with your pay.”

¹⁵ The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John^(AB) might possibly be the Messiah.^{(AC) 16} John answered them all, “I baptize you with^[c] water.^(AD) But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with^[d] the Holy Spirit and fire.^{(AE) 17} His winnowing fork^(AF) is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”^{(AG) 18} And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

¹⁹ But when John rebuked Herod^(AH) the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, ²⁰ Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.^(AI)