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 , * during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas , the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness . * And he went into all the region around the Jordan , preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins . * As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet , tcent @Luke:3:5 " /> tcent @Luke:3:6 " /> * Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him , »You 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 tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones . * And even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees ; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire .« * And the multitudes asked him , »What then shall we do ?« * And he answered them , »He who has two tunics , let him share with him who has none ; and he who has food , let him do likewise .« * 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 is appointed you .« * Likewise the soldiers asked him , »And what shall we do ?« So he said to them , »Rob no one by violence or accuse falsely , and be content with your wages .« * As the people were in expectation , and all men questioned in their hearts concerning John , whether perhaps he were the Christ , * John answered them all , »I baptize you with water ; but one mightier than I is coming , the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie . He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire . * His winnowing fork is in his hand , to clear his threshing floor , and to gather the wheat into his barn , but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire .« * And with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people . * But Herod the tetrarch , being rebuked by him concerning Herodias , his brother 's wife , and for all the other evil things Herod had done , * added this to them all , that he shut up John in prison .

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