Matthew 3:1-11

New King James Version

John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)

3 In those days ^(B)John the Baptist came preaching ^(C)in the wilderness of Judea, ²and saying, “Repent, for ^(D)the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” ³For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

^(E)“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
^(F)‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”

⁴Now ^(G)John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was ^(H)locusts and ^(I)wild honey. ⁵^(J)Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him ⁶^(K)and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ^(L)“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from ^(M)the wrath to come? ⁸Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, ⁹and do not think to say to yourselves, ^(N)‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. ¹⁰And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. ^(O)Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹^(P)I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. ^(Q)He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit ^[a]and fire.