Luke 3:2-16

Anderson^{(i) 2} Annas and Caiaphas being chief priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zachariah, in the wilderness. ³ And he came into all the country about the Jordan, preaching the immersion of repentance in order to the remission of sins; ⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight; ⁵ every ravine shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made level; and the crooked ways shall be made straight; and the rough ways shall be made smooth; ⁶ and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. ⁷ Therefore he said to the multitudes that came out to be immersed by him: Generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸ Bring forth, therefore, fruits worthy of repentance. And begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ⁹ And now also the ax is lying at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not produce good fruit, is cut down and cast into the fire. ¹⁰ And the multitudes asked him, saying: What, then, shall we do? ¹¹ He answered and said to them: He that has two coats, let him give to him that has none; and he that has food, let him do likewise. ¹² And the publicans also came to be immersed, and they said to him: Teacher, what shall we do? ¹³ And he said to them: Exact no more than that which is appointed you. ¹⁴ And soldiers also asked him, saying: And what shall we do? And he said to them: Take nothing from any one by extortion, nor by false accusation, and be content with your pay. ¹⁵ While the people were in suspense, and all were reasoning in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, ¹⁶ John answered them all, saying: I indeed immerse you in water; but there comes One mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to loose; he will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and in fire.