Luke:3:1-20

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* Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar , Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea , Herod being tetrarch of Galilee , his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis , and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene , * while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests , the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness . * And he went into all the region around the Jordan , preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins , * as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet , saying : "The voice of one crying in the wilderness : "Prepare the way of the LORD ; Make His paths straight . * Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low ; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth ; * And all flesh shall see the salvation of God ."' * Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him , "Brood of vipers ! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come ? * Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance , and do not begin to say to yourselves , "We have Abraham as our father .' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones . * And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees . Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire ." * So the people asked him , saying , "What shall we do then ?" * He answered and said to them , "He who has two tunics , let him give to him who has none ; and he who has food , let him do likewise ." * Then tax collectors also came to be baptized , and said to him , "Teacher , what shall we do ?" * And he said to them , "Collect no more than what is appointed for you ." * Likewise the soldiers asked him , saying , "And what shall we do ?" So he said to them , "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely , and be content with your wages ." * Now as the people were in expectation , and all reasoned in their hearts about John , whether he was the Christ or not , * John answered , saying to all , "I indeed baptize you with water ; but One mightier than I is coming , whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose . He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire . * His winnowing fan is in His hand , and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor , and gather the wheat into His barn ; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire ." * And with many other exhortations he preached to the people . * But Herod the tetrarch , being rebuked by him concerning Herodias , his brother Philip 's wife , and for all the evils which Herod had done , * also added this , above all , that he shut John up in prison .

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