Chapter 3
The Mission of John the Baptist
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- In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
δὲ Ἐν ταῖς ἐκείναις ἡμέραις Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτιστὴς παραγίνεται κηρύσσων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῆς Ἰουδαίας de En tais ekeinais hēmerais Iōannēs ho baptistēs paraginetai kēryssōn en tē erēmō tēs Ioudaias — NA/TR · 1
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and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.
καὶ λέγων Μετανοεῖτε γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἤγγικεν kai legōn Metanoeite gar hē basileia tōn ouranōn ēngiken — NA/TR · 2
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- This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah -: “[A] voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for [the] Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
γάρ οὗτος ἐστιν ὁ ῥηθεὶς διὰ τοῦ προφήτου Ἠσαΐου λέγοντος Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου ποιεῖτε εὐθείας τρίβους τὰς αὐτοῦ gar houtos estin ho rhētheis dia tou prophētou Ēsaiou legontos Phōnē boōntos en tē erēmō Hetoimasate tēn hodon Kyriou poieite eutheias tribous tas autou — NA/TR · 3
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- John - wore - a garment of camel’s hair, with [a] leather belt around his waist. - His food was locusts and wild honey.
δὲ Ἰωάννης Αὐτὸς ὁ εἶχεν τὸ αὐτοῦ ἔνδυμα ἀπὸ καμήλου τριχῶν καὶ δερματίνην ζώνην περὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ ὀσφὺν δὲ ἡ αὐτοῦ τροφὴ ἦν ἀκρίδες καὶ ἄγριον μέλι de Iōannēs Autos ho eichen to autou endyma apo kamēlou trichōn kai dermatinēn zōnēn peri tēn autou osphyn de hē autou trophē ēn akrides kai agrion meli — NA/TR · 4
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- [People] went out to him [from] Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan.
Τότε ἐξεπορεύετο πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἱεροσόλυμα καὶ πᾶσα ἡ Ἰουδαία καὶ ἡ πᾶσα περίχωρος τοῦ Ἰορδάνου Tote exeporeueto pros auton Hierosolyma kai pasa hē Ioudaia kai hē pasa perichōros tou Iordanou — NA/TR · 5
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- Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
καὶ ἐξομολογούμενοι τὰς αὐτῶν ἁμαρτίας ἐβαπτίζοντο ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ kai exomologoumenoi tas autōn hamartias ebaptizonto hyp’ autou en tō Iordanē potamō — NA/TR · 6
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But when [John] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his [place of] baptism, he said to them, “[You] brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
δὲ Ἰδὼν πολλοὺς τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων ἐρχομένους ἐπὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ βάπτισμα εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν τίς ὑπέδειξεν ὑμῖν φυγεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς μελλούσης ὀργῆς de Idōn pollous tōn Pharisaiōn kai Saddoukaiōn erchomenous epi autou to baptisma eipen autois Gennēmata echidnōn tis hypedeixen hymin phygein apo tēs mellousēs orgēs — NA/TR · 7
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Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance.
ποιήσατε καρπὸν οὖν ἄξιον τῆς μετανοίας poiēsate karpon oun axion tēs metanoias — NA/TR · 8
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And {do} not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham [as our] father. For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
καὶ μὴ δόξητε λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἔχομεν τὸν Ἀβραάμ Πατέρα γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐκ τῶν τούτων λίθων ὁ Θεὸς δύναται ἐγεῖραι τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάμ kai mē doxēte legein en heautois echomen ton Abraam Patera gar legō hymin hoti ek tōn toutōn lithōn ho Theos dynatai egeirai tekna tō Abraam — NA/TR · 9
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The axe vvv vvv lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree vvv that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into [the] fire.
ἡ ἀξίνη ἤδη δὲ κεῖται πρὸς τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν δένδρων οὖν πᾶν δένδρον μὴ ποιοῦν καλὸν καρπὸν ἐκκόπτεται καὶ βάλλεται εἰς πῦρ hē axinē ēdē de keitai pros tēn rhizan tōn dendrōn oun pan dendron mē poioun kalon karpon ekkoptetai kai balletai eis pyr — NA/TR · 10
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I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come [One] more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with [the] Holy Spirit and with fire.
Ἐγὼ μὲν βαπτίζω ὑμᾶς ἐν ὕδατι εἰς μετάνοιαν ὁ δὲ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἐστιν ἰσχυρότερός μού οὗ τὰ ὑποδήματα εἰμὶ οὐκ ἱκανὸς βαστάσαι αὐτὸς βαπτίσει ὑμᾶς ἐν Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι καὶ πυρί Egō men baptizō hymas en hydati eis metanoian ho de opisō mou erchomenos estin ischyroteros mou hou ta hypodēmata eimi ouk hikanos bastasai autos baptisei hymas en Hagiō Pneumati kai pyri — NA/TR · 11
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His winnowing fork [is] in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
οὗ τὸ πτύον ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ χειρὶ καὶ διακαθαριεῖ τὴν αὐτοῦ ἅλωνα καὶ συνάξει τὸν αὐτοῦ σῖτον εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην δὲ κατακαύσει τὸ ἄχυρον ἀσβέστῳ πυρὶ hou to ptyon en tē autou cheiri kai diakathariei tēn autou halōna kai synaxei ton autou siton eis tēn apothēkēn de katakausei to achyron asbestō pyri — NA/TR · 12
The Baptism of Jesus
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At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan - - to be baptized by [John].
Τότε ὁ Ἰησοῦς παραγίνεται ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην τοῦ βαπτισθῆναι ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ Tote ho Iēsous paraginetai apo tēs Galilaias epi ton Iordanēn pros ton Iōannēn tou baptisthēnai hyp’ autou — NA/TR · 13
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- But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I vvv need to be baptized by You, and {do} You come to me?
ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης διεκώλυεν αὐτὸν λέγων Ἐγὼ ἔχω χρείαν βαπτισθῆναι ὑπὸ σοῦ καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρός με ho de Iōannēs diekōlyen auton legōn Egō echō chreian baptisthēnai hypo sou kai sy erchē pros me — NA/TR · 14
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“Let [it] be so now, - Jesus replied… “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way. Then [John] permitted Him.
Ἄφες ἄρτι δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς Ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν γὰρ ἐστὶν πρέπον ἡμῖν πληρῶσαι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην οὕτως τότε ἀφίησιν αὐτόν Aphes arti de ho Iēsous Apokritheis eipen pros auton gar estin prepon hēmin plērōsai pasan dikaiosynēn houtōs tote aphiēsin auton — NA/TR · 15
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As soon as… [Jesus] was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him.
δὲ εὐθὺς Βαπτισθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀνέβη ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος καὶ ἰδοὺ οἱ οὐρανοί ἠνεῴχθησαν καὶ εἶδεν τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν καὶ ἐρχόμενον ἐπ’ αὐτόν de euthys Baptistheis ho Iēsous anebē apo tou hydatos kai idou hoi ouranoi ēneōchthēsan kai eiden to Pneuma tou Theou katabainon hōsei peristeran kai erchomenon ep’ auton — NA/TR · 16
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And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!
καὶ ἰδοὺ φωνὴ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν λέγουσα Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μου ὁ ἀγαπητός Υἱός ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα kai idou phōnē ek tōn ouranōn legousa Houtos estin ho mou ho agapētos Huios en hō eudokēsa — NA/TR · 17