3:1  IN THE fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar's reign--when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene--

3:2  In the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the Word of God [concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God] came to John son of Zachariah in the wilderness (desert).

3:3  And he went into all the country round about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance (of hearty amending of their ways, with abhorrence of past wrongdoing) unto the forgiveness of sin.

3:4  As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, The voice of one crying in the wilderness [shouting in the desert]: Prepare the way of the Lord, make His beaten paths straight.

3:5  Every valley {and} ravine shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be leveled; and the crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough roads shall be made smooth;

3:6  And all mankind shall see (behold and understand and at last acknowledge) the salvation of God (the deliverance from eternal death decreed by God).

3:7  So he said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, You offspring of vipers! Who secretly warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

3:8  Bear fruits that are deserving {and} consistent with [your] repentance [that is, conduct worthy of a heart changed, a heart abhorring sin]. And do not begin to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father; for I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up descendants for Abraham.

3:9  Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees, so that every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.

3:10  And the multitudes asked him, Then what shall we do?

3:11  And he replied to them, He who has two tunics (undergarments), let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do it the same way.

3:12  Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they said to him, Teacher, what shall we do?

3:13  And he said to them, Exact {and} collect no more than the fixed amount appointed you.

3:14  Those serving as soldiers also asked him, And we, what shall we do? And he replied to them, Never demand {or} enforce by terrifying people or by accusing wrongfully, and always be satisfied with your rations (supplies) {and} with your allowance (wages).

3:15  As the people were in suspense {and} waiting expectantly, and everybody reasoned {and} questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether he perhaps might be the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

3:16  John answered them all by saying, I baptize you with water; but He Who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of Whose sandals I am not fit to unfasten. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

3:17  His winnowing shovel (fork) is in His hand to thoroughly clear {and} cleanse His [threshing] floor and to gather the wheat {and} store it in His granary, but the chaff He will burn with fire that cannot be extinguished.

3:18  So with many other [various] appeals and admonitions he preached the good news (the Gospel) to the people.

3:19  But Herod the tetrarch, who had been [repeatedly] told about his fault {and} reproved {with} rebuke producing conviction by [John] for [having] Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the wicked things that Herod had done,

3:20  Added this to them all--that he shut up John in prison.

3:21  Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized, and [while He was still] praying, the [visible] heaven was opened

3:22  And the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, {saying,} You are My Son, My Beloved! In You I am well pleased {and} find delight!

3:23  Jesus Himself, when He began [His ministry], was about thirty years of age, being the Son, as was supposed, of Joseph, the son of Heli,

3:24  The son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

3:25  The son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,

3:26  The son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

3:27  The son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

3:28  The son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

3:29  The son of Jesus, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

3:30  The son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

3:31  The son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

3:32  The son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon (Sala), the son of Nahshon,

3:33  The son of Aminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

3:34  The son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

3:35  The son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,

3:36  The son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

3:37  The son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,

3:38  The son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.