Matthew 3:1-4:11

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Messiah’s Herald

3 In those days John the Baptist came,^(A) preaching in the Wilderness of Judea^{(B) 2} and saying, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!”^{(C) 3} For he is the one spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, who said:

⁴ John himself had a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity of the Jordan were flocking to him, ⁶ and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.^(E)

⁷ When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees^(F) coming to the place of his baptism,^[b] he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{(G) 8} Therefore produce fruit^(H) consistent with^[c] repentance. ⁹ And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^(I) For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! ¹⁰ Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees! Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.^(J)

¹¹ “I baptize you with^[d] water for repentance,^[e](K) but the One who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove^[f] His sandals. He Himself will baptize you with^[g] the Holy Spirit and fire.^{(L) 12} His winnowing shovel^[h] is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn. But the chaff He will burn up with fire that never goes out.”^(M)

The Baptism of Jesus

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.^{(N) 14} But John tried to stop Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and yet You come to me?”

¹⁵ Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him to be baptized.

¹⁶ After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens^(O) suddenly opened for Him,^[i] and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him.^{(P) 17} And there came a voice from heaven:

The Temptation of Jesus

4 Then^(R) Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil.^{(S) 2} After He had fasted 40 days and 40 nights,^(T) He was hungry. ³ Then the tempter approached Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”^(U)

⁴ But He answered, “It is written:

⁵ Then the Devil took Him to the holy city,^[k] had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,^{(W) 6} and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

⁷ Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”^(Z)[m]

⁸ Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ And he said to Him, “I will give You all these things if You will fall down and worship me.”^[n]

¹⁰ Then Jesus told him, “Go away,^[o] Satan! For it is written:

¹¹ Then the Devil left Him, and immediately angels came and began to serve Him.^(AB)