Study Desk

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,^[a] while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,^(a) Herod was tetrarch^[b] of Galilee,^(b) his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturea^[c] and Trachonitis,^[d] and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,^[e]

during the high priesthood of Annas^(c) and Caiaphas,^(d) God's word came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.^(e)

He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan,^(f) preaching a baptism of repentance^[f] for the forgiveness of sins,

as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah: A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight!

Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low; ^[g] the crooked will become straight, the rough ways smooth,

and everyone ^[h] will see the salvation of God. ^(g)[i]

He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers!^(h) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don't start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,'⁽ⁱ⁾ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

Even now the ax is ready to strike^[j] the root of the trees! Therefore, every tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."^(j)

"What then should we do?"^(k) the crowds were asking him.

He replied to them, "The one who has two shirts^[k] must share with someone who has none, and the one who has food must do the same."^(l)

Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?"^(m)

He told them, "Don't collect any more than what you have been authorized."

Some soldiers also questioned him: "What should we do?" He said to them, "Don't take money from anyone by force or false accusation; be satisfied with your wages."

Now the people were waiting expectantly, and all of them were debating in their minds^[l] whether John might be the Messiah.⁽ⁿ⁾

John answered them all,^(o) "I baptize you with^[m] water, but One is coming who is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandals. He will baptize you with^[n] the Holy Spirit and fire.

His winnowing shovel^[o](p) is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and gather the wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with a fire that never goes out."^(q)

Then, along with many other exhortations, he proclaimed good news to the people.

But Herod the tetrarch,^(r) being rebuked by him about Herodias, his brother's wife, and about all the evil things Herod had done,^(s)

added this to everything else—he locked John up in prison.^(t)