CHAPTER 3
1 In the fifteenth year of the empire of Tiberius, the emperor, when Pilate of Pontii governed Judea, and Herod was prince of Galilee, and Philip, his brother, was prince of Ituraea, and of the country of Trachonitis, and Lysanias was prince of Abilene,
2 under the princes of priests, Annas and Caiaphas, the word of the Lord was made on John, the son of Zechariah, in desert.
3 And he came into all the country of Jordan, and preached baptism of penance into remission of sins.
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah, the prophet, The voice of a crier [or The voice of one crying] in desert, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, make ye his paths right.
5 Each valley shall be full-filled, and every hill [or mountain] and little hill shall be made low; and shrewd things shall be into dressed things, and sharp things into plain ways;
6 and every flesh [or each man] shall see the health of God.
7 Therefore he said to the people, which went out to be baptized of him, Kindlings of adders, who showed to you to flee from the wrath to coming? [or to come?]
8 Therefore do ye worthy fruits of penance, and begin ye not to say, We have a father Abraham; for I say to you, that God is mighty to raise of these stones the sons of Abraham.
9 And now an ax is set [or is put] to the root of the tree; and therefore every tree that maketh not good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire.
10 And the people asked him, and said, What then shall we do?
11 He answered, and said to them, He that hath two coats, give he to him that hath none; and he that hath meats, do in like manner.
12 And [the] publicans came to be baptized; and they said to him, Master, what shall we do?
13 And he said to them, Do ye nothing more, than that that is ordained to you.
14 And [the] knights asked him, and said, What shall also we do? And he said to them, Smite ye wrongfully no man, neither make ye false challenge, and be ye satisfied with your wages.
15 When all the people guessed, and all men thought in their hearts of John, lest peradventure he were Christ,
16 John answered, and said to all men, I baptize you in water; but a stronger than I shall come after me, of whom I am not worthy to unbind the lace [or the thong] of his shoes; he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire.
17 Whose winnowing tool, or fan, is in his hand, and he shall purge his floor of corn [or his cornfloor], and shall gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he shall burn with fire unquenchable.
18 And many other things also he spake, and preached [or evangelized] to the people.
19 But Herod [the] tetrarch, when he was blamed of John for Herodias, the wife of his brother, and for all the evils that Herod did,
20 he increased this over all, and shut John in prison.
21 And it was done, when all the people was baptized, and when Jesus was baptized, and prayed, heaven was opened.
22 And the Holy Ghost came down in bodily likeness, as a dove on him; and a voice was made from heaven, Thou art my dearworthy Son, in thee it hath well pleased to me.
23 And Jesus himself was beginning as of thirty years, that he was guessed the son of Joseph, which was of Heli,
24 which was of Matthat, which was of Levi, which was of Melchi, that was of Janna, that was of Joseph,
25 that was of Mattathias, that was of Amos, that was of Nahum, that was of Esli, that was of Naggai,
26 that was of Maath, that was of Mattathias, that was of Semein, that was of Joseph, that was of Joda,
27 that was of Joanna, that was of Rhesa, that was of Zerubbabel, that was of Salathiel, that was of Neri,
28 that was of Melchi, that was of Addi, that was of Cosam, that was of Elmodam, that was of Er,
29 that was of Joshua, that was of Eliezer, that was of Jorim, that was of Matthat, that was of Levi,
30 that was of Simeon, that was of Judah, that was of Joseph, that was of Jonan, that was of Eliakim,
31 that was of Melea, that was of Menna, that was of Mattatha, that was of Nathan, that was of David,
32 that was of Jesse, that was of Obed, that was of Boaz, that was of Salmon, that was of Nahshon,
33 that was of Amminadab, that was of Aram, that was of Hezron, that was of Perez, that was of Judah,
34 that was of Jacob, that was of Isaac, that was of Abraham, that was of Terah, that was of Nahor,
35 that was of Serug, that was of Reu, that was of Peleg, that was of Heber, that was of Shelah,
36 that was of Cainan, that was of Arphaxad, that was of Shem, that was of Noah, that was of Lamech,
37 that was of Methuselah, that was of Enoch, that was of Jared, that was of Mahalaleel, that was of Cainan,
38 that was of Enos, that was of Seth, that was of Adam, that was of God.