THE BEGINNING OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD.

"A voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'"

And all the Judean country and the inhabitants of Jerusalem went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

And he was preaching, saying, "There comes One after me who is stronger than me, of whom I am not worthy to stoop down and to loose the strap of His sandal.

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

Then a voice came from the heavens, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I have found delight."

But I say to you that indeed Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written concerning him."

In those days John the Baptist arrived preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "A voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'"

Then Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan were going out to him

But seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

and do not think to say among yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham out of these stones.

I 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,

Then Jesus arrived from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.

But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted Him.

And behold, a voice came out of the heavens, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I have found delight."

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governing Judea, and while Herod governed as tetrarch of Galilee, and while Philip his brother governed as tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and while Lysanias governed as tetrarch of Abilene,

And he went into all the surrounding region of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,

Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be humbled; the crooked roads shall become straight, and the rough [roads] shall become smooth;

Then he said to the crowds which came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

And even now the ax is being laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and is thrown into the fire."

He answered and said to them, "He who has two shirts, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."

And he said to them, "Collect nothing more than the [amount] which has been commanded to you."

Now while the people waited, and all considered in their hearts about John, whether he might be the Christ,

whose winnowing shovel is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn up with unquenchable fire."

But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

There was a man sent from God, whose name [was] John.

He was not that Light, but [was sent] so that he might testify concerning the Light.

John testified concerning Him and has cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me, has come to be before me, because He was before me.'"

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came to be through Jesus Christ.

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem so that they might ask him, "Who are you?"

And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No."

He said: "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the LORD," ' just as Isaiah the prophet said."

And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"

He is the [One] who comes after me, who has come to be before me, of whom I am not worthy that I should loose the strap of His sandal."

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

"I did not know Him; but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."

I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending and abiding on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.

Then there came to be a dispute between John's disciples and a Jew about purification.

John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.

"He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the voice of the bridegroom. Therefore my joy has been fulfilled.

He who comes from above is above all; he who is from the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.

He who receives His testimony has certified that God is true.

The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.