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- In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar--when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene--
- during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.
- He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
- As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.
- Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.
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- And all mankind will see God's salvation.' "
- 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?
- Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
- The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."
- "What should we do then?" the crowd asked.
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- John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."
- Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?"
- "Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them.
- Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely--be content with your pay."
- The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.
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- John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
- His 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 unquenchable fire."
- And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.
- But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done,
- Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
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- When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened
- and the Holy Spirit descended 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."
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