In the Wilderness of Judea and beside the Jordan

¹The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  
 

¹In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,

¹Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius ^a Caesar, Pontius Pilate ^b being governor of Judea, and Herod ^c being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip ^d  tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ^e  tetrarch of Abilene, ²in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, ^f  the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

²“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” ³For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying,

⁴Now John himself wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him. ⁶They were baptized[2] by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

[1]3:3 Isaiah 40:3

[2]3:6 or, immersed

³He came into all the region around the Jordan, ^g preaching the baptism of repentance for remission of sins. ⁴As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

[1]3:6 Isaiah 40:3-5

⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism,[1] he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Therefore bring forth fruit worthy of repentance! ⁹Don’t think to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

¹⁰“Even now the axe lies at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t bring forth good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire.

[1]3:7 or, immersion

⁷He said therefore to the multitudes who went out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and don’t begin to say among yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father;’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones! ⁹Even now the axe also lies at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doesn’t bring forth good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰The multitudes asked him, “What then must we do?”

¹¹He answered them, “He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none. He who has food, let him do likewise.”

¹²Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what must we do?”

¹³He said to them, “Collect no more than that which is appointed to you.”

¹⁴Soldiers also asked him, saying, “What about us? What must we do?”

He said to them, “Extort from no one by violence, neither accuse anyone wrongfully. Be content with your wages.”

¹¹I indeed baptize[1] you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.[2] ¹²His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.”

[1]3:11 or, immerse

[2]3:11 TR and NU add “and with fire”

⁷He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen. ⁸I baptized you in[1] water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”

[1]1:8 The Greek word (en) translated here as “in” could also be translated as “with” in some contexts.

¹⁵As the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he was the Christ, ¹⁶John answered them all, “I indeed baptize you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the latchet of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire, ¹⁷whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

¹⁸Then with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people, ^h

     ¹⁵John testified about him. He cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.’” ¹⁶From his fullness we all received grace upon grace. ¹⁷For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son,[1] who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.

[1]1:18 NU reads “God”

a) “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius.” A.D. 26-27. Counting from his co-regency with Augustus which began at the close of 764 or the beginning of 765 A.U.C., or 11 to 12 A.D.

b) “Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea.” 26-36 A.D.

c) “Herod being tetrarch of Galilee.” 4 B.C.-39 A.D.

d) “Philip tetrarch of Iturea.” 4 B.C.-33 A.D.

e) “Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene.” The outlying district between the Lebanon ranges. This notice is relevant because the territory belonged to the land of Israel In ancient times and subsequently, nearer to the day of the evangelist, it formed a part of the territory assigned by Caligula to his favorite Herod Agrippa I, AD. 37. 

f) “Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests.” Caiaphas was the actual high-priest, Ca. 18-86 A.D. But Annas, as the influential former high priest. 6-15 A.D., father-in-law to Caiaphas, and the real power behind the throne, was also given this title.

g) Probably starting in the south and proceeding northward along the Jordan valley.
 
h) Here follows in the order of Luke: The announcement of the imprisonment of John. Luke 3:19-20, See Nos. 50, 96.
 

Bible References taken from:
The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible, based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.