The Mission of John the Baptist
(Matthew 3:1–12; Mark 1:1–8; John 1:19–28)

1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar?Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the country of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness; 3and he came into all the region of the Jordan, preaching the immersion of repentance unto remission of sins;

4as it has been written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight His paths.

5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough ways smooth;

6and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

7He was saying, therefore, to the multitudes coming forth to be immersed by him, "Broods of vipers! who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce, therefore, fruits worthy of repentance; and begin not to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father'; for I say to you, that God is able out of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9And already the axe also is lying at the root of the trees; every tree, therefore, not producing good fruit, is cut down, and cast into the fire."

10And the multitudes were asking him, saying, "What, then, shall we do?" 11And he, answering, said to them, "Let him who has two coats share with him who has none; and let him who has food do likewise." 12And there came also tax-collectors to be immersed, and they said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" 13And he said to them, "Exact no more than that which has been appointed you." 14And soldiers also were questioning him, saying, "And what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do violence to no one, neither accuse any one falsely, and be content with your wages."

15And, as the people were in expectation, and all were reasoning in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he himself were the Christ, 16John answered, saying to them all, "I, indeed, immerse you in water; but He is coming, Who is mightier than I?the latchet of Whose sandals I am not worthy to loose?He will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and in fire; 17Whose fan is in His hand, thoroughly to cleanse His threshing-floor, and to gather the wheat into His granary; but the chaff He will burn up with unquenchable fire."

18Therefore, indeed, exhorting them as to many and various things, he was proclaiming the good news to the people; 19but Herod, the tetrarch, being reproved by him concerning Herodias, the wife of his brother, and concerning all the evils which Herod did, 20added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison.

The Baptism of Jesus
(Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; John 1:29–34)

21Now it came to pass, when all the people were immersed, that as Jesus also was immersed, and was praying, Heaven was opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form, as a dove; and a voice came out of Heaven, "Thou art My Son, the Beloved, in Whom I delighted."

The Genealogy of Jesus
(Matthew 1:1–17)

23And Jesus Himself, when beginning His ministry, was about thirty years old, being, as was supposed, the Son of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29the son of Jesus, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30the son of Symeon, the son of Judas, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, 33the son of Amminadab, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.