1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governing Judea, and Herod the brother of Philip was tetrarch of Galilee, and he was tetrarch of the country of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.3He went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough ways shall become smooth,6and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.7He said therefore to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath that is coming?8Bear fruits therefore that are worthy of repentance, 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 children for Abraham.9Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.10And the crowds asked him, What then shall we do?11He answered them, The one who has two tunics must share with the one who has none, and the one who has food must do likewise.12Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, Teacher, what shall we do?13He said to them, Collect no more than you are authorized to collect.14Soldiers also asked him, "And what shall we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be content with your wages."15As the people were in expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ,16John answered them all, I baptize you with water, but one who is mightier than I 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 the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.18With many other exhortations he preached good news to the people.19But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done,20added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.