Matthew 3:1-12

English Standard Version

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

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

^(F)“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
^(G)‘Prepare^[b] the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’”

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

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

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

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Footnotes

Matthew 3:2 Or the kingdom of heaven has come near
Matthew 3:3 Or crying: Prepare in the wilderness

Psalm 5

English Standard Version

Lead Me in Your Righteousness

To the choirmaster: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.

5 Give ear to my words, O Lord;
    consider my ^(A)groaning.
²Give attention to the sound of my cry,
    my ^(B)King and my God,
    for ^(C)to you do I pray.
³O Lord, in ^(D)the morning you hear my voice;
    in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you^[a] and ^(E)watch.

⁴For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
    evil may not dwell with you.
⁵The ^(F)boastful shall not ^(G)stand before your eyes;
    you ^(H)hate all evildoers.
⁶You destroy those who speak ^(I)lies;
    the Lord abhors ^(J)the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

⁷But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
    will enter your house.
I will ^(K)bow down ^(L)toward your ^(M)holy temple
    in the fear of you.
⁸^(N)Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
    because of my enemies;
    ^(O)make your way straight before me.

⁹For there is no truth in their mouth;
    their inmost self is ^(P)destruction;
^(Q)their throat is ^(R)an open grave;
    they ^(S)flatter with their tongue.
¹⁰^(T)Make them bear their guilt, O God;
    let them ^(U)fall by their own counsels;
because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out,
    for they have rebelled against you.

¹¹But let all who ^(V)take refuge in you ^(W)rejoice;
    let them ever sing for joy,
and spread your protection over them,
    that those who love your name may ^(X)exult in you.
¹²For you ^(Y)bless the righteous, O Lord;
    you ^(Z)cover him with favor as with ^(AA)a shield.