Matthew 3
New King James Version

John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)

3 In those days^(B)John the Baptist came preaching^(C)in the wilderness of Judea,²and saying, “Repent, for^(D)the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”³For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

^(E)“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
^(F)‘Prepare the way of theLord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”

⁴Now^(G)John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was^(H)locusts and^(I)wild honey.⁵^(J)Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him⁶^(K)and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them,^(L)“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from^(M)the wrath to come?⁸Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,⁹and do not think to say to yourselves,^(N)‘We have Abraham asourfather.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.¹⁰And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.^(O)Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.¹¹^(P)I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.^(Q)He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit^[a]and fire.¹²^(R)His winnowing fanisin His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will^(S)burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John Baptizes Jesus^(T)

¹³^(U)Then Jesus came^(V)from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.¹⁴And Johntried toprevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

¹⁵But Jesus answered and said to him,“Permitit to be sonow, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”Then he allowed Him.

¹⁶^(W)When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and^[b]He saw^(X)the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.¹⁷^(Y)And suddenly a voicecamefrom heaven, saying,^(Z)“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”