^{1 Ref} And in the fifteenth year of the government of Tiberius Caesar -- Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother, tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene --

^{2 Ref} Annas and Caiaphas being chief priests -- there came a word of God unto John the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness,

^{3 Ref} and he came to all the region round the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of reformation -- to remission of sins,

^{4 Ref} as it hath been written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, `A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, straight make ye His paths;

^{5 Ref} every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straightness, and the rough become smooth ways;

^{6 Ref} and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'

^{7 Ref} Then said he to the multitudes coming forth to be baptised by him, `Brood of vipers! who did prompt you to flee from the coming wrath?

^{8 Ref} make, therefore, fruits worthy of the reformation, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have a father -- Abraham; for I say to you, that God is able out of these stones to raise children to Abraham;

^{9 Ref} and already also the axe unto the root of the trees is laid, every tree, therefore, not making good fruit is cut down, and to fire it is cast.'

^{10 Ref} And the multitudes were questioning him, saying, `What, then, shall we do?'

^{11 Ref} and he answering saith to them, `He having two coats -- let him impart to him having none, and he having victuals -- in like manner let him do.'

^{12 Ref} And there came also tax-gatherers to be baptised, and they said unto him, `Teacher, what shall we do?'

^{13 Ref} and he said unto them, `Exact no more than that directed you.'

^{14 Ref} And questioning him also were those warring, saying, `And we, what shall we do?' and he said unto them, `Do violence to no one, nor accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.'

^{15 Ref} And the people are looking forward, and all are reasoning in their hearts concerning John, whether or not he may be the Christ;

^{16 Ref} John answered, saying to all, `I indeed with water do baptise you, but he cometh who is mightier than I, of whom I am not worthy to loose the latchet of his sandals -- he shall baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire;

^{17 Ref} whose winnowing shovel `is' in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor, and will gather the wheat to his storehouse, and the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.'

^{18 Ref} And, therefore, indeed with many other things, exhorting, he was proclaiming good news to the people,

^{19 Ref} and Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him concerning Herodias the wife of Philip his brother, and concerning all the evils that Herod did,

^{20 Ref} added also this to all, that he shut up John in the prison.

^{21 Ref} And it came to pass, in all the people being baptised, Jesus also being baptised, and praying, the heaven was opened,

^{22 Ref} and the Holy Spirit came down in a bodily appearance, as if a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of heaven, saying, `Thou art My Son -- the Beloved, in thee I did delight.'

^{23 Ref} And Jesus himself was beginning to be about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, son of Joseph,

²⁴ the `son' of Eli, the `son' of Matthat, the `son' of Levi, the `son' of Melchi, the `son' of Janna, the `son' of Joseph,

²⁵ the `son' of Mattathias, the `son' of Amos, the `son' of Naum, the `son' of Esli,

²⁶ the `son' of Naggai, the `son' of Maath, the `son' of Mattathias, the `son' of Semei, the `son' of Joseph, the `son' of Juda,

^{27 Ref} the `son' of Joanna, the `son' of Rhesa, the `son' of Zerubbabel, the `son' of Shealtiel,

²⁸ the `son' of Neri, the `son' of Melchi, the `son' of Addi, the `son' of Cosam, the `son' of Elmodam, the `son' of Er,

²⁹ the `son' of Jose, the `son' of Eliezer, the `son' of Jorim, the `son' of Matthat,

³⁰ the `son' of Levi, the `son' of Simeon, the `son' of Juda, the `son' of Joseph, the `son' of Jonan, the `son' of Eliakim,

^{31 Ref} the `son' of Melea, the `son' of Mainan, the `son' of Mattatha, the `son' of Nathan,

^{32 Ref} the `son' of David, the `son' of Jesse, the `son' of Obed, the `son' of Booz, the `son' of Salmon, the `son' of Nahshon,

^{33 Ref} the `son' of Amminadab, the `son' of Aram, the `son' of Esrom, the `son' of Pharez,

^{34 Ref} the `son' of Judah, the `son' of Jacob, the `son' of Isaac, the `son' of Abraham, the `son' of Terah, the `son' of Nahor,

^{35 Ref} the `son' of Serug, the `son' of Reu, the `son' of Peleg, the `son' of Eber,

^{36 Ref} the `son' of Salah, the `son' of Cainan, the `son' of Arphaxad, the `son' of Shem, the `son' of Noah, the `son' of Lamech,

^{37 Ref} the `son' of Methuselah, the `son' of Enoch, the `son' of Jared, the `son' of Mahalaleel,

^{38 Ref} the `son' of Cainan, the `son' of Enos, the `son' of Seth, the `son' of Adam, the `son' of God.