Matthew 3:4-17

English Standard Version

⁴ Now John wore ^(A)a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was ^(B)locusts and ^(C)wild honey. ⁵ Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, ⁶ and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, ^(D)confessing their sins.

⁷ But when he saw many of ^(E)the Pharisees and ^(F)Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ^(G)“You brood of ^(H)vipers! Who warned you to flee from ^(I)the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruit ^(J)in keeping with repentance. ⁹ And do not presume to say to yourselves, ^(K)‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from ^(L)these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. ^(M)Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

^11 (N)“I baptize you with water ^(O)for repentance, but ^(P)he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you ^(Q)with the Holy Spirit and ^(R)fire. ¹² His ^(S)winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and ^(T)gather his wheat into the barn, ^(U)but the chaff he will burn with ^(V)unquenchable fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus

^13 (W)Then Jesus came ^(X)from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. ^14 (Y)John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” ¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. ¹⁶ And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, ^(Z)the heavens were opened to him,^[a] and he ^(AA)saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; ¹⁷ and behold, ^(AB)a voice from heaven said, ^(AC)“This is my beloved Son,^[b] with whom I am well pleased.”