Luke
3
- In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius
Caesar--when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee,
his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, 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 desert.
- He went into all the country around the
Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
- As is written in the book of the words of
Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the
way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.
- Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain
and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways
smooth.
- And all mankind will see God's salvation.'"
- John said to the crowds coming out to be
baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the
coming wrath?
- Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For
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."
- "What should we do then?" the
crowd asked.
- John answered, "The man with two tunics
should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the
same."
- Tax collectors also came to be baptized.
"Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?"
- "Don't collect any more than you are
required to," he told them.
- Then some soldiers asked him, "And
what should we do?" He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse
people falsely--be content with your pay."
- The people were waiting expectantly and
were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.
- John answered them all, "I baptize
you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs 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 he will burn
up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
- And with many other words John exhorted
the people and preached the good news to them.
- But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch
because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he
had done,
- Herod added this to them all: He locked
John up in prison.
- When all the people were being baptized,
Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened
- and the Holy Spirit descended on him in
bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son,
whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
- Now Jesus himself was about thirty years
old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,
the son of Heli,
- the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the
son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,
- the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,
the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, 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, the
son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,
- the son of Melki, the son of Addi, the son
of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
- the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the
son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,
- the son of Simeon, the son of 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,
- the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son
of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
- the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the
son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,
- the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the
son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
- the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son
of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,
- the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad,
the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
- the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,
the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan,
- the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son
of Adam, the son of God.
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