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those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!” 3 This is He who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, when he said:
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make His paths straight’.”
4 John wore a garment made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then the people of Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him, 6 and were baptised by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.
7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptising, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore produce fruit in keeping with repentance! 9 And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’. For I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is ready to strike the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 “I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me, One who will come is more powerful than I am, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. 14 But John tried to stop Him, saying, “I need to be baptised by You, and do You come to me?”
15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 When Jesus had been baptised, He came up out of the water. Just then the heavens opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. 17 And a voice from heaven said: “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”