Luke 3

The Preaching of John the Baptist

1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2during the 1high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3He went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, 4as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord;

make his paths straight.

5Every valley will be filled,

and every mountain and hill will be brought low.

The crooked roads will be made straight,

and the rough ways will be made smooth.

6And all flesh will see the salvation of God.’ ”

7John said to the crowds that were coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit consistent with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10So the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” 11John answered them, “Whoever has two tunics must share with him who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.” 12Some tax collectors also came to be 2baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13He said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been authorized to collect.” 14Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by 3threats or false accusations, and be content with your wages.”

15Now as the people were waiting in expectation and were all questioning in their hearts whether John might be the Christ, 16John answered them all, “I baptize you with water, but one is coming who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his 4hand, and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.”

18With these and many other exhortations John preached good news to the people. 19But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his 5brother's wife, and because of all the evils he had done, 20Herod added this to everything else: He locked John up in prison.

The Baptism of Jesus

21Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus had also been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. Then a voice came from 6heaven, saying, “Yoʋ are my beloved Son; in yoʋ I am well pleased.”

The Genealogy of Jesus

23Jesus was about thirty years of age when he began his ministry, being the son (so it was thought) of Joseph, the son of Eli, 24the son of 7Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of 8Janna, the son of Joseph, 25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of 9Esli, the son of Naggai, 26the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of 10Semeei, the son of 11Joseph, the son of 12Judah, 27the son of 13Joannan, 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 14Elmodam, the son of Er, 29the son of 15Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of 16Matthat, the son of Levi, 30the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of 17Jonan, the son of Eliakim, 31the son of Melea, the son of 18Mainan, 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 19Salmon, the son of Nahshon, 33the son of 20Amminadab, the son of 21Ram, the son of Joram, 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 Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.