CHAPTER 3
1 In those days John Baptist came, and preached in the desert of Judea,
2 and said, Do ye penance, for the kingdom of heaven shall [come] nigh.
3 For this is he, of whom it is said by Isaiah, the prophet, saying, A voice of a crier in desert, [or A voice of a man crying in desert], Make ye ready the ways of the Lord; make ye right the paths of him.
4 And this John had clothing [or a cloth] of camel’s hairs, and a girdle of skin about his loins; and his meat was honeysuckles [or locusts], and honey of the wood.
5 Then Jerusalem went out to him, and all Judea, and all the country about Jordan;
6 and they were washed [or christened] of him in Jordan, acknowledging their sins.
7 But he saw many of the Pharisees and of Sadducees coming to his baptism, and said to them, Generation of adders, who showed to you to flee from the wrath that is to come?
8 Therefore do ye worthy fruits of penance,
9 and do not ye say within you, We have Abraham to our father [or We have the father Abraham]; for I say to you, that God is mighty to raise up of these stones the sons of Abraham.
10 And now the ax is put to the root of the tree; therefore every tree that maketh not good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire.
11 I wash you in water, into penance; but he that shall come after me is stronger than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize [or christen] you in the Holy Ghost, and [in] fire.
12 Whose winnowing cloth, [or tool, or fan], is in his hand, and he shall fully cleanse his cornfloor, and shall gather his wheat into his barn; but the chaff he shall burn with fire that may not be quenched [or that is unquench-able].
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee into Jordan to John, to be baptized of him.
14 And John forbade him, and said, I owe to be baptized of thee, and thou comest to me?
15 But Jesus answered, and said to him, Suffer now, for thus it falleth to us to fulfill all rightwiseness. Then John suffered him [or let him].
16 And when Jesus was baptized, anon he went up from the water; and lo! heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down as a dove, and coming [up] on him;
17 and lo! a voice from heaven, saying, This is my [be] loved Son, in which I have well pleased to me.