3:4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice ⁷  of one shouting in the wilderness: ⁸ 

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make ⁹  his paths straight.

3:5 Every valley will be filled, ¹⁰ 

and every mountain and hill will be brought low,

and the crooked will be made straight,

and the rough ways will be made smooth,

3:6 and all humanity ¹¹  will see the salvation of God.’” ¹² 

3:7 So John ¹³  said to the crowds ¹⁴  that came out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers! ¹⁵  Who warned you to flee ¹⁶  from the coming wrath? 3:8 Therefore produce ¹⁷  fruit ¹⁸  that proves your repentance, and don’t begin to say ¹⁹  to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ ²⁰  For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! ²¹  3:9 Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, ²²  and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be ²³  cut down and thrown into the fire.”

3:10 So ²⁴  the crowds were asking ²⁵  him, “What then should we do?” 3:11 John ²⁶  answered them, ²⁷  “The person who has two tunics ²⁸  must share with the person who has none, and the person who has food must do likewise.” 3:12 Tax collectors ²⁹  also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 3:13 He told them, “Collect no more ³⁰  than you are required to.” ³¹  3:14 Then some soldiers ³²  also asked him, “And as for us – what should we do?” ³³  He told them, “Take money from no one by violence ³⁴  or by false accusation, ³⁵  and be content with your pay.”

3:15 While the people were filled with anticipation ³⁶  and they all wondered ³⁷  whether perhaps John ³⁸  could be the Christ, ³⁹  3:16 John answered them all, ⁴⁰  “I baptize you with water, ⁴¹  but one more powerful than I am is coming – I am not worthy ⁴²  to untie the strap ⁴³  of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ⁴⁴  3:17 His winnowing fork ⁴⁵  is in his hand to clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, ⁴⁶  but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire.” ⁴⁷