Mat 3:1-12, Luk 3:1-18 | ESV | STEP | In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea ,

1 ^aIn those days ^bJohn the Baptist came preaching in ^cthe wilderness of Judea, 2 ^d“Repent, for ^ethe kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

^f“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
^g‘Prepare ^{▼▼Or crying: Prepare in the wilderness} the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’”
4 Now John wore ⁱa garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was ^jlocusts and ^kwild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, ^lconfessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of ^mthe Pharisees and ⁿSadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ^o“You brood of ^pvipers! Who warned you to flee from ^qthe wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit ^rin keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ^s‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from ^tthese stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. ^uEvery tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 ^v“I baptize you with water ^wfor repentance, but ^xhe who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you ^ywith the Holy Spirit and ^zfire. 12 His ^aawinnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and ^abgather his wheat into the barn, ^acbut the chaff he will burn with ^adunquenchable fire.”

Luke 3:1-18

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of ^aeTiberius Caesar, ^afPontius Pilate ^agbeing governor of Judea, and ^ahHerod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during ^aithe high priesthood of Annas and ^ajCaiaphas, ^akthe word of God came to ^alJohn the son of Zechariah in ^amthe wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming ^ana baptism of repentance ^aofor the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in ^apthe book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

^aq“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
^ar‘Prepare the way of the Lord, ^{▼▼Or crying, Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord}
make his paths straight.
5 ^atEvery valley shall be filled,
^auand every mountain and hill shall be made low,
^avand the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
6 ^awand all flesh shall see ^axthe salvation of God.’”
7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ^ay“You brood of ^azvipers! Who warned you to flee from ^bathe wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits ^bbin keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ^bc‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from ^bdthese stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. ^beEvery tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10 And the crowds asked him, ^bf“What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, ^bg“Whoever has two tunics ^{▼▼Greek chiton, a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin} is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 ^biTax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, ^bjwhat shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, ^bk“Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, ^blwhat shall we do?” And he said to them, ^bm“Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your ^bnwages.”

15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, ^bowhether he might be ^bpthe Christ, 16 ^bqJohn answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but ^brhe who is mightier than I is coming, ^bsthe strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you ^btwith the Holy Spirit and ^bufire. 17 His ^bvwinnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to ^bwgather the wheat into his barn, ^bxbut the chaff he will burn with ^byunquenchable fire.”

18 So ^bzwith many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.