Luke 3

1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,

2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

3He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,

4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.

5Every valley will be filled in, and every mountain and hill will be made low. The crooked places will become straight, and the rough roads smooth,

6and all people will see the salvation of God.’”

7So John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

8Produce fruit, then, that shows your repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones.

9Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”

11He answered them, “Whoever has two tunics should share with the one who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.”

12Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”

13He said to them, “Collect no more than you have been ordered to.”

14Some soldiers also asked him, “And what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.”

15The people were full of expectation, and all of them were wondering in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah.

16John answered them all, “I baptize you with water, but one who is stronger than I am is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

17His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with fire that never goes out.”

18So with many other exhortations he proclaimed the good news to the people.

19But Herod the tetrarch, who had been rebuked by John about Herodias, his brother’s wife, and about all the evil things Herod had done,

20added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.

21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened,

22and the Holy Spirit came down on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

23Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his work. He was the son, as people supposed, of Joseph, the son of Heli,

24the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,

26the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

27the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

28the son of Melki, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

29the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

30the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

31the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

32the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,

33the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

34the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

35the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,

36the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan,

38the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.