Luke 3

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

The Proclamation of John the Baptist

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tibe′ri-us Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturae′a and Trachoni′tis, and Lysa′ni-as tetrarch of Abile′ne, ² in the high-priesthood of Annas and Ca′iaphas,^[a] the word of God came to John the son of Zechari′ah in the wilderness; ³ and he went into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴ As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

⁷ He said therefore to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers!^[b] Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruits that befit repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ⁹ Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰ And the multitudes asked him, “What then shall we do?” ¹¹ And he answered them, “He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” ¹² Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” ¹³ And he said to them, “Collect no more than is appointed you.” ¹⁴ Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Rob no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

¹⁵ As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ, ¹⁶ John answered them all, “I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

¹⁸ So, with many other exhortations, he preached good news to the people. ¹⁹ But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Hero′di-as, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, ²⁰ added this to them all, that he shut up John in prison.

The Baptism of Jesus

²¹ Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, ²² and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son;^[c] with thee I am well pleased.”^[d]

The Ancestors of Jesus

²³ Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph,^[e] the son of Heli, ²⁴ the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jan′na-i, the son of Joseph, ²⁵ the son of Mattathi′as, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Nag′ga-i, ²⁶ the son of Ma′ath, the son of Mattathi′as, the son of Sem′e-in, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, ²⁷ the son of Jo-an′an, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerub′babel, the son of She-al′ti-el,^[f] the son of Neri, ²⁸ the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elma′dam, the son of Er, ²⁹ the son of Joshua, the son of Elie′zer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, ³⁰ the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eli′akim, ³¹ the son of Me′le-a, the son of Menna, the son of Mat′tatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, ³² the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Bo′az, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, ³³ the son of Ammin′adab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, ³⁴ the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, ³⁵ the son of Serug, the son of Re′u, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, ³⁶ the son of Ca-i′nan, the son of Arphax′ad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, ³⁷ the son of Methu′selah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Maha′lale-el, the son of Ca-i′nan, ³⁸ the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.