(Isaiah 40:1–5; Matthew 3:1–12; Mark 1:1–8; John 1:19–28)
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And in the fifteenth year of the government of Tiberius Caesar—Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip, tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
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[and] Annas and Caiaphas being chief priests—there came a word of God to John the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness,
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and he came to all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming an immersion of conversion for forgiveness of sins,
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as it has been written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD, || Make His paths straight;
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Every valley will be filled, || And every mountain and hill will be made low, || And the crooked will become straightness, || And the rough become smooth ways;
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And all flesh will see the salvation of God.”
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Then he said to the multitudes coming forth to be immersed by him, “Brood of vipers! Who prompted you to flee from the coming wrath?
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Make, therefore, fruits worthy of conversion, and do not begin to say within yourselves, We have a father—Abraham; for I say to you that God is able to raise children to Abraham out of these stones;
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and also the axe is already laid to the root of the trees, every tree, therefore, not making good fruit is cut down, and it is cast into fire.”
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And the multitudes were questioning him, saying, “What, then, will we do?”
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And he answering says to them, “He having two coats, let him impart to him having none; and he having food, let him do in like manner.”
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And there also came tax collectors to be immersed, and they said to him, “Teacher, what will we do?”
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And he said to them, “Exact no more than that directed you.”
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And also questioning him were those warring, saying, “And we, what will we do?” And he said to them, “Do violence to no one, nor accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
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And the people are looking forward, and all are reasoning in their hearts concerning John, whether or not he may be the Christ;
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John answered, saying to all, “I indeed immerse you in water, but He comes who is mightier than I, of whom I am not worthy to loose the strap of His sandals—He will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and fire;
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whose winnowing shovel [is] in His hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse His floor, and will gather the wheat into His storehouse, and He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
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And therefore, indeed, with many other things, exhorting, he was proclaiming good news to the people,
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and Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him concerning Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, and concerning all the evils that Herod did,
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added also this to all, that he shut up John in the prison.
The Baptism of Jesus
(Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; John 1:29–34)
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And it came to pass, in all the people being immersed, Jesus also being immersed, and praying, Heaven was opened,
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and the Holy Spirit came down in a bodily appearance, as if a dove, on Him, and a voice came out of Heaven, saying, “You are My Son, the Beloved, in You I delighted.”
The Genealogy of Jesus
(Ruth 4:18–22; Matthew 1:1–17)
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And Jesus Himself was beginning to be about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, Son of Joseph,
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the [son] of Eli, the [son] of Matthat, the [son] of Levi, the [son] of Melchi, the [son] of Janna, the [son] of Joseph,
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the [son] of Mattathias, the [son] of Amos, the [son] of Nahum, the [son] of Esli,
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the [son] of Naggai, the [son] of Maath, the [son] of Mattathias, the [son] of Semei, the [son] of Joseph, the [son] of Judah,
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the [son] of Joanna, the [son] of Rhesa, the [son] of Zerubbabel, the [son] of Shealtiel,
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the [son] of Neri, the [son] of Melchi, the [son] of Addi, the [son] of Cosam, the [son] of Elmodam, the [son] of Er,
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the [son] of Jose, the [son] of Eliezer, the [son] of Jorim, the [son] of Matthat,
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the [son] of Levi, the [son] of Simeon, the [son] of Judah, the [son] of Joseph, the [son] of Jonan, the [son] of Eliakim,
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the [son] of Melea, the [son] of Mainan, the [son] of Mattatha, the [son] of Nathan,
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the [son] of David, the [son] of Jesse, the [son] of Obed, the [son] of Boaz, the [son] of Salmon, the [son] of Nahshon,
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the [son] of Amminadab, the [son] of Aram, the [son] of Esrom, the [son] of Perez,
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the [son] of Judah, the [son] of Jacob, the [son] of Isaac, the [son] of Abraham, the [son] of Terah, the [son] of Nahor,
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the [son] of Serug, the [son] of Reu, the [son] of Peleg, the [son] of Eber,
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the [son] of Salah, the [son] of Cainan, the [son] of Arphaxad, the [son] of Shem, the [son] of Noah, the [son] of Lamech,
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the [son] of Methuselah, the [son] of Enoch, the [son] of Jared, the [son] of Mahalaleel,
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the [son] of Cainan, the [son] of Enos, the [son] of Seth, the [son] of Adam, the [son] of God.
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