1IN THE FIFTEENTH YEAR of the Emperor Tiberius,
when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea,
when Herod was prince of Galilee,
his brother Philip prince of Ituraea and Trachonitis,
and Lysanias prince of Abilene,
2during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,
the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
3And he went all over the Jordan valley proclaiming a baptism in token of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 [ Is.40.3-5. ] as it is written in the book of the prophecies of Isaiah:
10The people asked him, 'Then what are we to do?' 11He replied, 'The man with two shirts must share with him who has none, and anyone who has food must do the same.' 12Among those who came to be baptized were tax-gatherers, and they said to him, 'Master, what are we to do?' 13He told them, 'Exact no more than the assessment.' 14Soldiers on service also asked him, 'And what of us?' To them he said, 'No bullying; no blackmail; make do with your pay!'
15The people were on the tiptoe of expectation, all wondering about John, whether perhaps he was the Messiah, 16but he spoke out and said to them all, 'I baptize you with water; but there is one to come who is mightier than I. I am not fit to unfasten his shoes. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17His shovel is ready in his hand, to winnow his threshing-floor and gather the wheat into his granary; but he will bum the chaff on a fire that can never go out.' 18In this and many other ways he made his appeal to the people and announced the good news. 19But Prince Herod, when he was rebuked by him over the affair of his brother's wife Herodias and for his other misdeeds, 20crowned them all by shutting John up in prison.
21DURING A GENERAL BAPTISM of the people, when Jesus too had been baptized and was praying, heaven opened 22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove;
and there came a voice from heaven,
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