People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized(A) by him in the Jordan River.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers!(B) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?(C) Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.(D) And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’(E) I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax 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.(F)

11 “I baptize you with[a] water for repentance.(G) But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with[b] the Holy Spirit(H) and fire.(I) 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”(J)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 3:11 Or in
  2. Matthew 3:11 Or in

Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

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23 Now John(A) also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized.

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23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

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24 Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel.(A)

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24 When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

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Paul said, “John’s baptism(A) was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”(B)

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Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

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