Matthew 2:19-3:17

English Standard Version

The Return to Nazareth

¹⁹ But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰ saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for ^(A)those who sought the child's life are dead.” ²¹ And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and ^(B)being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. ²³ And he went and lived in a city called ^(C)Nazareth, ^(D)so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 ^(E)In those days ^(F)John the Baptist came preaching in ^(G)the wilderness of Judea, ^2 (H)“Repent, for ^(I)the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”^{[a] 3} For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

⁴ Now John wore ^(L)a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was ^(M)locusts and ^(N)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, ^(O)confessing their sins.

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

^11 (Y)“I baptize you with water ^(Z)for repentance, but ^(AA)he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you ^(AB)with the Holy Spirit and ^(AC)fire. ¹² His ^(AD)winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and ^(AE)gather his wheat into the barn, ^(AF)but the chaff he will burn with ^(AG)unquenchable fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus

^13 (AH)Then Jesus came ^(AI)from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. ^14 (AJ)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, ^(AK)the heavens were opened to him,^[c] and he ^(AL)saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; ¹⁷ and behold, ^(AM)a voice from heaven said, ^(AN)“This is my beloved Son,^[d] with whom I am well pleased.”