Matthew 3:1-11
Read Matthew 3 in full →The Preaching of John the Baptist
3Now ain those days 1,bJohn the Baptist *2came, 3preaching in the cwilderness of Judea, saying, 2“aRepent, for bthe kingdom of heaven 1is at hand.” 3For this is the aone referred to 1by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “bThe voice of one 2crying in the wilderness,‘cMake ready the way of the 3Lord,Make His paths straight!’”
4Now John himself had 1,aa garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was blocusts and wild honey. 5Then Jerusalem awas going out to him, and all Judea, and all bthe district around the Jordan; 6and they were being abaptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.
7But when he saw many of the aPharisees and bSadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You cbrood of vipers, who warned you to flee from dthe wrath to come? 8“aTherefore bear fruit bin keeping with repentance; 9and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘aWe have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 10“And the aaxe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore bevery tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.