Matthew 3
Worldwide English (New Testament)
3 After some years had passed, John the Baptizer came and told God's word in the desert of Judea.
2 He said, `Stop doing wrong things and turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven is almost here.'
3 This is the man that Isaiah the prophet of God spoke about long ago. He said, `A man is calling in the wilderness, "Make the way ready for the Lord. Make the road straight for him." '
4 John wore clothes made of camel's hair and a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild honey.
5 People went to him from Jerusalem, from all of Judea, and from all the country near the Jordan River.
6 He baptised them in the Jordan River when they said how sorry they were for the wrong things they had done.
7 Many of the Pharisee group and the Sadducee group came to him to be baptised. But when he saw them, he said to them, `You family of snakes! Who told you to run away from God's anger that is coming?
8 Stop your wrong ways to show that you have turned back to God.
9 Do not think you can say to your-selves, "Abraham is our father." I tell you, God can make children for Abraham from these stones.
10 The axe is ready to cut down the trees. Every tree that does not have good fruit is cut down and thrown into a fire.
11 `I baptise you with water when you stop your wrong ways. But another person is coming after me. He is greater than I am. I am not good enough to take off his shoes. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12 He has a cleaning fan in his hand and will fan his grain very clean. He will put the grain into his storehouse. But he will burn the chaff in the fire that never dies.'
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River. He came to John to be baptised by him.
14 John tried to stop him. He said, `I need to be baptised by you. Why do you come to me to be baptised?'
15 But Jesus answered, `Please do it now. In this way we shall do all that is right.' Then John let him be baptised.
16 After Jesus was baptised, he came up out of the water right away. The sky opened. He saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove.
17 A voice from the sky said, `This is my dear Son. I am very pleased with him.'
Matthew 3
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, 2 and saying, “Repent, for (D)the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For 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.’ ”
4 Now (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.
7 But 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? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and 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. 10 And 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. 12 (R)His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will (S)burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
John Baptizes Jesus(T)
13 (U)Then Jesus came (V)from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”
15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.
16 (W)When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and [b]He saw (X)the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 (Y)And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, (Z)“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 3:11 M omits and fire
- Matthew 3:16 Or he
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
