Luke 3:3-20 And John went into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

MNT⁽ⁱ⁾ ³ And John went into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. ⁴ As it is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah. The voice of one crying in the desert, Prepare the way for God, make straight paths for him. ⁵ Every ravine shall be filled up, Every hill and mountain shall be laid low, The crooked shall be made straight, And the rough roads smooth; ⁶ And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. ⁷ So John used to say to the crowd of those who were going out to be baptized by him. "You breed of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Then bring forth fruit befitting your penitence, and do not begin to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father." I tell you that God is able to raise up sons to Abraham out of these stones. ⁹ And now truly the axe is already laid at the root of the trees. So every tree which is not bearing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." ¹⁰ And the crowd began to ask him questions. "What shall we do then?" they asked. In reply he said to them. ¹¹ "If you have two shirts share with him who has none; and let him who has food do the same." ¹² There came to him publicans also to be baptized, and they said to him, "Master, what must we do?" ¹³ And he said to them, "Exact no more than the sum allowed you." ¹⁴ The soldiers also repeatedly questioned him, saying, "And we, what shall we do?" "Do not intimidate any one," he replied, "nor lay false charges, and be content with your pay." ¹⁵ And while the people were in expectation, and all men were debating in their hearts about John, ¹⁶ whether perhaps he were the Christ, John answered, saying to all of them. "I indeed am baptizing you in water, but One is coming after me, mightier than I, whose shoe-latchet I am not worthy to unloose. He shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and in fire. ¹⁷ He has his fan in his hand to cleanse his threshing-floor thoroughly, and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, but the chaff will he burn with unquenchable fire." ¹⁸ With many other exhortations then John declared the gospel to the people; ¹⁹ but Herod, the Tetrarch, when reproved by him because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and because of all the wicked deeds that he had done, ²⁰ added yet this above them all that he shut up John in prison.