1 And in [the] fifteenth year of the government of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the] Trachonitus country, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene--

2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests-- the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

3 And he came into all the country around Jordan, proclaiming the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,

4 as it is written in [the] book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, The] voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of [the] Lord, make His paths straight.

5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be straight, and the rough ways [shall be] made smooth.

6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

7 Then he said to the crowd that came forth to be baptized by him, O generation of vipers! Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Therefore bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for [our] father. For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

9 And now also the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bring forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.

10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

11 He answered and said to them, He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none. And he who has food, let him do likewise.

12 And tax-collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, Teacher, what shall we do?

13 And he said to them, Continue to do no more than that commanded to you.

14 And the soldiers also asked of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said to them, Do not forcibly extort anyone, nor accuse [any] falsely. And be content with your wages.

15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts concerning John, lest perhaps he was the Christ,

16 John answered all, saying, I indeed baptize you with water, but He who is mightier than I comes, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to loose. He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire,

17 whose fan [is] in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor and will gather the wheat into His storehouse. But He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.

18 And then indeed exhorting many things, he proclaimed the gospel to the people.

19 But Herod the tetrarch (being reproved by him on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all [the] evils which Herod had done)

20 added still this above all, that he even shut John up in prison.

21 And it happened in the baptizing of all the people, Jesus also being baptized, and praying, and the heaven was opened.

22 And the Holy Spirit came down in a bodily shape, like a dove on Him. And a voice came from Heaven, which said, You are My Son, the Beloved; I am delighted in You.

23 And Jesus Himself was beginning to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) son of Joseph, [son of] of Heli,

24 [son of] of Matthat, [son of] of Levi, [son of] of Melchi, [son of] of Janna, [son of] of Joseph,

25 [son of] of Mattathias, [son of] of Amos, [son of] of Nahum, [son of] of Esli, [son of] of Naggai,

26 [son of] of Maath, [son of] of Mattathias, [son of] of Semei, [son of] of Joseph, [son of] of Juda,

27 [son of] of Joanna, [son of] of Rhesa, [son of] of Zerubbabel, [son of] of Shealtiel, [son of] of Neri,

28 [son of] of Melchi, [son of] of Addi, [son of] of Cosam, [son of] of Elmodam, [son of] of Er,

29 [son of] of Joses, [son of] of Eliezer, [son of] of Jorum, [son of] of Matthat, [son of] of Levi,

30 [son of] of Simeon, [son of] of Juda, [son of] of Joseph, [son of] of Jonan, [son of] of Eliakim,

31 [son of] of Melea, the son of Menan, [son of] of Mattatha, [son of] of Nathan, [son of] of David,

32 [son of] of Jesse, [son of] of Obed, [son of] of Boaz, [son of] of Salma, [son of] of Nahshon,

33 [son of] of Amminadab, [son of] of Ram, [son of] of Hezron, [son of] of Pharez, [son of] of Judah,

34 [son of] of Jacob, [son of] of Isaac, [son of] of Abraham, [son of] of Terah, [son of] of Nahor,

35 [son of] of Serug, [son of] of Reu, [son of] of Peleg, [son of] of Eber, [son of] of Shelah,

36 [son of] of Cainan, [son of] of Arphaxad, [son of] of Shem, [son of] of Noah, [son of] of Lamech,

37 [son of] of Methuselah, [son of] of Enoch, [son of] of Jared, [son of] of Mahalaleel, [son of] of Cainan,

38 [son of] of Enos, [son of] of Seth, [son of] of Adam, [son of] of God.