Study Desk

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when ^(C1)Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and ^(C2)Herod was tetrarch of Galilee and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,

in the high priesthood of ^(C1)Annas and ^(C2)Caiaphas, ^(C3)the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness.

And he came into all ^(C1)the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance ^(F1)for the forgiveness of sins;

as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "^(C1)THE VOICE OF ONE CALLING ^(F1)OUT IN THE WILDERNESS, 'PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!

-'^(C1)EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED, AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE LOWERED; THE CROOKED WILL BECOME STRAIGHT, AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH;

^(C1)AND ALL ^(F1)FLESH WILL ^(C2)SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD!'"

So he was saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, "^(C1)You ^(F1)offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

"Therefore produce fruits that are consistent with repentance, and ^(C1)do not start saying ^(F1)to yourselves, '^(C2)We have Abraham as our father,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children for Abraham.

"But indeed the axe is already being laid at the root of the trees; so ^(C1)every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

And the crowds were questioning him, saying, "^(C1)Then what are we to do?"

And he would answer and say to them, "The one who has two ^(F1)tunics is to ^(C1)share with the one who has none; and the one who has food is to do likewise."

Now even ^(C1)tax collectors came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what are we to do?"

And he said to them, "^(F1)Collect no more than what you have been ordered to."

And soldiers also were questioning him, saying, "What are we to do, we as well?" And he said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone, nor ^(F1)(C1)harass anyone, and ^(C2)be content with your wages."

Now while the people were in a state of expectation and they all were thinking carefully in their hearts about John, ^(C1)whether he himself perhaps was the ^(F1)Christ,

^(C1)John responded to them all, saying, "As for me, I baptize you with water; but He is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the straps of His sandals; He will baptize you ^(F1)with the Holy Spirit and fire.

"His ^(C1)winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with ^(C2)unquenchable fire."

So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people.

But when ^(C1)Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him regarding ^(C1)Herodias, his brother's wife, and regarding all the evil things which ^(C2)Herod had done,

Herod also added this to them all: ^(C1)he locked John up in prison.

^(C1)Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized, and while He was ^(C2)praying, heaven was opened,

and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven: "^(C1)You are My beloved Son, in You I am well pleased."

^(C1)When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years old, being, as was commonly held, the son of ^(C2)Joseph, ^(F1)the son of ^(F2)Eli,

the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of ^(F1)Hesli, the son of Naggai,

the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, ^(C1)the son of Zerubbabel, the son of ^(F1)Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

the son of ^(F1)Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

the son of Simeon, the son of ^(F1)Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

^(C1)the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of ^(F1)Salmon, the son of ^(F2)Nahshon,

the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of ^(F1)Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, ^(C1)the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

the son of Serug, the son of ^(F1)Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of ^(F2)Heber, the son of Shelah,

the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, ^(C1)the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,

the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.