3: 2 Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3: 3 For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying,23 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight.
23Is 40:3.
3: 4 Now John himself had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
3: 5 Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about the Jordan;
3: 6 and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
3: 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and 24Sadducees coming 25to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
24Or, Zadokites (from the priesthood of Zadok, 1Chr 18:16).
25Or, for baptism,
3: 8 Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of 26repentance:
26Or, your repentance:
3: 9 and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father: for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
3: 10 And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
3: 11 I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is stronger than I, whose shoes I am not 27worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire:
27Gk. sufficient
3: 12 whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor; and he will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.
3: 13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
3: 14 But John was hindering him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
3: 15 But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer 28it now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffereth him.
28Or, me
3: 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened 29unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him;
29So ℵb 892; Coptics are split. Bℵ* sys,c omit unto him
3: 17 and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I was well pleased.
