| New King James Version | King James Bible |
| 1In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, | 1In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, |
| 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” | 2And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. |
| 3For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.’ ” | 3For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. |
| 4Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. | 4And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. |
| 5Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him | 5Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, |
| 6and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. | 6And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. |
| 7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? | 7But 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? |
| 8Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, | 8Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: |
| 9and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. | 9And 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. |
| 10And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. | 10And 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. |
| 11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. | 11I 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: |
| 12His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” | 12Whose 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. |
| 13Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. | 13Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. |
| 14And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” | 14But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? |
| 15But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. | 15And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. |
| 16When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. | 16And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: |
| 17And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” | 17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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