John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 ^(A)In those days ^(B)John the Baptist came preaching in ^(C)the wilderness of Judea,

⁷ But when he saw many of ^(A)the Pharisees and ^(B)Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ^(C)“You brood of ^(D)vipers! Who warned you to flee from ^(E)the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruit ^(F)in keeping with repentance. ⁹ And do not presume to say to yourselves, ^(G)‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from ^(H)these stones to raise up children for Abraham.