Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip, his brother, being tetrarch of Iturea and of the province of Trachonitis, and Lysanias being tetrarch of Abilene, in the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the Baptist, the son of Zachariah, in the wilderness.

Then, in those days, he came into all the country adjacent to the Jordan, in the wilderness of Judea, preaching the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins, saying, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near. For this is he that was spoken of through the prophet, even as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, 'Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, Who shall prepare Thy way; A voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, Make straight His paths." Every ravine shall be filled up. And every mountain and hill shall be made low; And the crooked shall become straight ways. And the rough become smooth ways; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.""

Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; also his food was locusts and wild honey; and he baptized in the wilderness.

At that time there went out to him all they of Jerusalem, and all the country of Judea, and all the region of the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, in the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, he said to them, "Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Bring forth, therefore, fruits worthy of repentance; and do not begin or think to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father': for I say unto you, that God is able out of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. But even now the axe also is lying at the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire."

And the common people asked him, saying, "What, then, must we do?" Then he, answering, said to them, "He that hath two coats, let him share with him that hath none; and he that hath food, let him do likewise."

Then came also publicans to be baptized; and they said to him, "Teacher, what must we do?" Then he said to them, "Exact nothing more than that which is appointed you." Then soldiers also asked him, saying, "What must we also do?" And he said to them, "Do violence to no one, neither accuse anyone falsely; and be content with your wages."

Now as the people were in expectation, and all were reasoning in their hearts concerning John, whether indeed he himself were the Christ, John answered and preached, saying, "I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance; but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, Whose sandals I am not fit to carry; of Whom, even the latchet of His sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose: He shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire: Whose winnowing-fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing floor and will gather His wheat into His garner, but the chaff He will consume with fire unquenchable." Then also with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people.