The Messiah’s Herald
1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,(a) while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea,(A) Herod was tetrarch(b) of Galilee,(B) his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturea(c) and Trachonitis,(d) and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,(e)
2 during the high priesthood of Annas(C) and Caiaphas,(D) God’s word came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.(E)
3 He went into all the vicinity of the Jordan,(F) preaching a baptism of repentance(f) for the forgiveness of sins,
4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah:
A voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
Prepare the way for the Lord;
make His paths straight!
5 Prepare the way for the Lord;
make His paths straight!
Every valley will be filled,
and every mountain and hill will be made low;(g)
the crooked will become straight,
the rough ways smooth,
6
and every mountain and hill will be made low;(g)
the crooked will become straight,
the rough ways smooth,
7 He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers!(H) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8 Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’(I) for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!
9 Even now the ax is ready to strike(j) the root of the trees! Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”(J)
11 He replied to them, “The one who has two shirts(k) must share with someone who has none, and the one who has food must do the same.”(L)
14 Some soldiers also questioned him: “What should we do?”
He said to them, “Don’t take money from anyone by force or false accusation; be satisfied with your wages.”
He said to them, “Don’t take money from anyone by force or false accusation; be satisfied with your wages.”
15 Now the people were waiting expectantly, and all of them were debating in their minds(l) whether John might be the Messiah.(N)
16 John answered them all,(O) “I baptize you with(m) water, but One is coming who is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandals. He will baptize you with(n) the Holy Spirit and fire.
17 His winnowing shovel(o)(P) is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and gather the wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with a fire that never goes out.”(Q)
18 Then, along with many other exhortations, he proclaimed good news to the people.
19 But Herod the tetrarch,(R) being rebuked by him about Herodias, his brother’s wife, and about all the evil things Herod had done,(S)
20 added this to everything else—he locked John up in prison.(T)
The Baptism of Jesus
21 When all the people were baptized,(U) Jesus also was baptized. As He was praying,(V) heaven opened,
22 and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a physical appearance like a dove. And a voice came from heaven:
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
23 As He began His ministry, Jesus was about 30 years old and was thought to be(p) the
24
24
son of Matthat, son of Levi,
son of Melchi, son of Jannai,
son of Joseph,
25 son of Melchi, son of Jannai,
son of Joseph,
son of Mattathias,
son of Amos, son of Nahum,
son of Esli, son of Naggai,
26 son of Amos, son of Nahum,
son of Esli, son of Naggai,
son of Maath, son of Mattathias,
son of Semein, son of Josech,
son of Joda,
27
28 son of Semein, son of Josech,
son of Joda,
son of Melchi, son of Addi,
son of Cosam, son of Elmadam,
son of Er,
29 son of Cosam, son of Elmadam,
son of Er,
son of Joshua,
son of Eliezer, son of Jorim,
son of Matthat, son of Levi,
30 son of Eliezer, son of Jorim,
son of Matthat, son of Levi,
son of Simeon, son of Judah,
son of Joseph, son of Jonam,
son of Eliakim,
31 son of Joseph, son of Jonam,
son of Eliakim,
son of Melea,
son of Menna, son of Mattatha,
son of Nathan, son of David,
32
33
34
35 son of Menna, son of Mattatha,
son of Nathan, son of David,
son of Serug,
son of Reu, son of Peleg,
son of Eber, son of Shelah,
36
37 son of Reu, son of Peleg,
son of Eber, son of Shelah,
son of Methuselah,
son of Enoch, son of Jared,
son of Mahalaleel, son of Cainan,
38 son of Enoch, son of Jared,
son of Mahalaleel, son of Cainan,
son of Enos, son of Seth,
son of Adam, son of God.
son of Adam, son of God.
Footnotes:
a.
Luke 3:1: Emperor who ruled the Roman Empire a.d. 14–37
b.
Luke 3:1: Or ruler
c.
Luke 3:1: A small province northeast of Galilee
d.
Luke 3:1: A small province northeast of Galilee
e.
Luke 3:1: A small Syrian province
f.
Luke 3:3: Or baptism based on repentance
g.
Luke 3:5: Lit be humbled
h.
Luke 3:6: Lit all flesh
j.
Luke 3:9: Lit the ax lies at
k.
Luke 3:11: Lit tunics
l.
Luke 3:15: Or hearts
m.
Luke 3:16: Or in
n.
Luke 3:16: Or in
o.
Luke 3:17: A wooden farm implement used to toss threshed grain into the wind so the lighter chaff would blow away and separate from the heavier grain
p.
Luke 3:23: People did not know about His virgin birth; Mt 1:18-25; Lk 1:26-38
q.
Luke 3:23: The relationship in some cases may be more distant than a son.
r.
Luke 3:32: Other mss read Sala
s.
Luke 3:33: Other mss read Amminadab, son of Aram, son of Joram; other mss read Amminadab, son of Admin, son of Arni
Cross references:
A.
Luke 3:1:
Matthew 27:2
B.
Luke 3:1:
Matthew 14:1
D.
Luke 3:2:
Matthew 26:3
F.
Luke 3:3:
Matthew 3:5
L.
Luke 3:11:
Isaiah 58:7