1 And in those :days cometh John the Baptist †preaching in the wilderness of :Judæa, saying 2 Repent ye, for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand. 3 For this is he spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his :paths straight.
4 Now :John himself had his :raiment of camel’s hair, and a leather girdle about his :loin; and his :food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then went out unto him Jerusalem and all :Judæa and all the region about the Jordan; 6 and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan confessing their :sins. 7 †And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to the baptism, he said to them, Offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of :repentance; 9 and think not to say within yourselves, We have :Abraham for our father, for I say unto you that :God can of these :stones raise up children to :Abraham. 10 And already is the axe lying at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. 11 I †indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but who cometh after me is mightier than I: whose :shoes I am not fit to bear: HE shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire: 12 whose :fan is in his :hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing :floor and gather his :grain into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire. 13 Then cometh :Jesus from :Galilee to the Jordan unto :John to be baptized of him. 14 But he would fain hinder him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and THOU comest unto me? 15 But :Jesus answered and said to him, Suffer me now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffereth him. 16 And :Jesus, when baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened, and he saw God’s Spirit descending as if a dove coming upon him; 17 and lo, a voice out of the heavens saying, This is my :son the beloved in whom I am well pleased.