In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of
Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he
who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for
him.’”
John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt
around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him
from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing
their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he
was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee
from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not
think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you
that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is
already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good
fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
“I baptize you with water for repentance. But
after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy
to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork
is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into
the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
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