Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the desert.
And he went into the whole region around the Jordan, preaching baptism as a sign of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,
as it is written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling out in the desert, ‘Make the road ready for the Lord! Make the paths straight for him!’
Every valley will be filled and every mountain and hill will be made low, and the crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth,
and all flesh will see the salvation of God.”
So he began saying to the multitudes that went out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Come now, produce fruit that is consistent with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ because I say to you that God is able to produce children of Abraham from these stones.
The axe is already laid down at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
And the crowd was asking him, saying, “So then, what should we do?”
And he answered them and said, “The one who has two tunics, let him give one to him who has none, and the one who has food, let him do the same.”
And tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.”
And soldiers also asked him, saying, “And we, what should we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats, and do not accuse any one wrongfully, and be content with your wages.”
And while the people were filled with expectation, and everyone was questioning in their hearts concerning John, if he was the Christ,
John answered, saying to them all, “I baptize you in water, but one who is mightier than I am is coming—I am not even worthy to untie the strap of his sandals! He will baptize you with holy spirit or with fire.
His winnowing fork is in his hand, to thoroughly clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.”
So then indeed, exhorting regarding many and various subjects, he proclaimed good news to the people.
But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him on account of Herodias (his brother’s wife), and for all the evil things that Herod had done,
added this also to them all—he locked up John in prison.
Now it came to pass when all the people were baptized that Jesus also was baptized, and as he was praying, the heavens were opened
and the holy spirit descended onto him in a bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.”
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
And Jesus himself, when he began his ministry, was about 30 years of age, being the son (as it was assumed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,
the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,
the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
the son of Jesus, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
the son of Symeon, the son of Judas, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,
the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
the son of Amminadab, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah
the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,
the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.