3 ¹ ABOUT THIS TIME John the Baptist appeared as a preacher in the Judaean wilderness; 3 ² his theme was: 'Repent; for the kingdom of Heaven is upon you!' 3 ^{3 [ Is.40.3. ]} It is of him that the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, 'A voice crying aloud in the wilderness, "Prepare a way for the Lord; clear a straight path for him." '

3 ⁴ John's clothing was a rough coat of camel's hair, with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 3 ⁵ They flocked to him from Jerusalem, from all Judaea, and the whole Jordan valley, 3 ⁶ and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins.

3 ⁷ When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism he said to them: 'You vipers' brood! Who warned you to escape from the coming retribution? 3 ⁸ Then prove your repentance by the fruit it bears; 3 ⁹ and do not presume to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham for our father." I tell you that God can make children for Abraham out of these stones here. 3 ¹⁰ Already the axe is laid to the roots of the trees; and every tree that fails to produce good fruit is cut down and thrown on the fire.

3 ¹¹ I baptize you with water, for repentance; but the one who comes after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to take off his shoes; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 3 ¹² His shovel is ready in his hand and he will winnow his threshing-floor; the wheat he will gather into his granary, but he will burn the chaff on a fire that can never go out.'