Luke 3:3-20 in pursuance of which, he went into all the country about Jordan, exhorting all to repent and be baptized, in order to obtain the remission of their sins.

Mace⁽ⁱ⁾ ³ in pursuance of which, he went into all the country about Jordan, exhorting all to repent and be baptized, in order to obtain the remission of their sins. ⁴ as it is written in the book of the prophecies of Esaias, "the voice of one crying in the desart, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths clear. ⁵ every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be level'd: the crooked shall be made strait, and the rough ways shall be made smooth, ⁶ and all men shall behold the divine saviour." ⁷ he said therefore to the people that crowded to be baptized by him, ye brood of vipers, who has prompted you to flee from approaching wrath? ⁸ let your actions therefore show your repentance, and don't pretend to say within yourselves, "we have Abraham for our father:" for I tell you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ⁹ the ax is already laid to the root of the trees: every tree then, which does not produce good fruit, shall be hewn down, and cast into the fire. ¹⁰ Upon which the people asked him, what then shall we do? ¹¹ he answer'd them, let him that hath two coats give one to him that hath none; and let him that has plenty of provisions act in like manner. ¹² the Publicans likewise came to be baptized, and said to him, master, how are we to act? ¹³ exact, said he, no more than what the law requires. ¹⁴ the soldiers too made the same demand, how are we to act? he answer'd them, injure no man either by violence or by fraud, and be content with your pay. ¹⁵ As the people were in suspence, every man imagining in his own mind that John might be the Messiah; ¹⁶ he address'd himself to them all, saying, I indeed baptize you with water; but there is one coming, who is superiour to me, whose shoes I am unworthy to untie: he shall baptize you with the holy spirit, under the appearance of fire. ¹⁷ and with the fan in his hand he will thoroughly cleanse his floor, and will lay up the wheat in his grainery: but the chaff he will burn with inextinguishable fire. ¹⁸ many other things he delivered to the people in his exhortations. ¹⁹ but having reproved Herod the tetrarch upon account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, and for all the mischiefs that Herod had done; ²⁰ to compleat all the rest, Herod confin'd John in prison.