Luke 3

₁In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar – when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene – ₂during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ₃He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ₄As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

₇John said to the crowds coming out to be baptised by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ₈Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.” For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ₉The axe has been laid to the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.’

₁₀‘What should we do then?’ the crowd asked.

₁₁John answered, ‘Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.’

₁₂Even tax collectors came to be baptised. ‘Teacher,’ they asked, ‘what should we do?’

₁₃‘Don’t collect any more than you are required to,’ he told them.

₁₄Then some soldiers asked him, ‘And what should we do?’

He replied, ‘Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely – be content with your pay.’

₁₅The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. ₁₆John answered them all, ‘I baptise you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ₁₇His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.’ ₁₈And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

₁₉But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, ₂₀Herod added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.

₂₁When all the people were being baptised, Jesus was baptised too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened ₂₂and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’

₂₃Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,