Knox Bible

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It was in the fifteenth year of the emperor Tiberius’ reign,✻ when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea, when Herod was prince in Galilee, his brother Philip in the Ituraean and Trachonitid region, and Lysanias in Abilina,

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in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiphas,✻ that the word of God came upon John, the son of Zachary, in the desert.

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And he went all over the country round Jordan, announcing a baptism whereby men repented, to have their sins forgiven:

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as it is written in the book of the sayings of the prophet Isaias, There is a voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, straighten out his paths.

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Every valley is to be bridged, and every mountain and hill levelled, and the windings are to be cut straight, and the rough paths made into smooth roads,

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and all mankind is to see the saving power of God.✻

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He said to the multitudes who came out to be baptized by him, Who was it that taught you, brood of vipers, to flee from the vengeance that draws near?

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Come then, yield the acceptable fruit of repentance; do not think to say, We have Abraham for our father; I tell you, God has power to raise up children to Abraham out of these very stones.

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Already the axe has been put to the root of the trees, so that every tree which does not shew good fruit will be hewn down and cast into the fire.

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And the multitudes asked him, What is it, then, we are to do?

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He answered them, The man who has two coats must share with the man who has none; and the man who has food to eat, must do the like.

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The publicans, too, came to be baptized; Master, they said to him, what are we to do?

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He told them, Do not go beyond the scale appointed you.

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Even the soldiers on guard asked him, What of us? What are we to do? He said to them, Do not use men roughly, do not lay false information against them; be content with your pay.✻

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And now the people was full of expectation; all had the same surmise in their hearts, whether John might not be the Christ.

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But John gave them their answer by saying publicly, As for me, I am baptizing you with water; but one is yet to come who is mightier than I, so that I am not worthy to untie the strap of his shoes. He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

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He holds his winnowing-fan ready, to purge his threshing-floor clean; he will gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will consume with fire that can never be quenched.

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With these and many other warnings he gave his message to the people:

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but when he rebuked prince Herod over his brother Philip’s wife, and his shameful deeds,

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Herod, to crown all, shut John up in prison.

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It was while all the people were being baptized that Jesus was baptized too, and stood there praying. Suddenly heaven was opened,

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and the Holy Spirit came down upon him in bodily form, like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased.✻

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Jesus himself had now reached the age of about thirty. He was, by repute, the son of Joseph, son of Heli, son of Mathat,

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son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Janne, son of Joseph,

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son of Matthathias, son of Amos, son of Nahum, son of Hesli, son of Nagge,

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son of Mahath, son of Matthathias, son of Semei, son of Joseph, son of Juda,

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son of Joanna, son of Resa, son of Zorobabel, son of Salathiel, son of Neri,

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son of Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosan, son of Elmadan, son of Her,

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son of Jesu, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Mathat, son of Levi,

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son of Simeon, son of Juda, son of Joseph, son of Jona, son of Eliacim,

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son of Melea, son of Menna, son of Mathatha, son of Nathan, son of David,

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son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Booz, son of Salmon, son of Naasson,

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son of Aminadab, son of Aram, son of Esron, son of Phares, son of Juda,

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son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of Thare, son of Nachor,

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son of Sarug, son of Ragau, son of Phaleg, son of Heber, son of Sale,

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son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Sem, son of Noe, son of Lamech,

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son of Methusale, son of Henoch, son of Jared, son of Malaleel, son of Cainan,

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son of Henos, son of Seth, son of Adam, who was the son of God.✻