3:4 as it hath been written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, `A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, straight make ye His paths;
3:5 every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straightness, and the rough become smooth ways;
3:7 Then said he to the multitudes coming forth to be baptised by him, `Brood of vipers! who did prompt you to flee from the coming wrath?
3:8 make, therefore, fruits worthy of the reformation, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have a father -- Abraham; for I say to you, that God is able out of these stones to raise children to Abraham;
3:9 and already also the axe unto the root of the trees is laid, every tree, therefore, not making good fruit is cut down, and to fire it is cast.'
3:10 And the multitudes were questioning him, saying, `What, then, shall we do?'
3:11 and he answering saith to them, `He having two coats -- let him impart to him having none, and he having victuals -- in like manner let him do.'
3:12 And there came also tax-gatherers to be baptised, and they said unto him, `Teacher, what shall we do?'
3:13 and he said unto them, `Exact no more than that directed you.'
3:14 And questioning him also were those warring, saying, `And we, what shall we do?' and he said unto them, `Do violence to no one, nor accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.'
3:15 And the people are looking forward, and all are reasoning in their hearts concerning John, whether or not he may be the Christ;
3:16 John answered, saying to all, `I indeed with water do baptise you, but he cometh who is mightier than I, of whom I am not worthy to loose the latchet of his sandals -- he shall baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire;
3:17 whose winnowing shovel [is] in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor, and will gather the wheat to his storehouse, and the chaff he will burn with fireunquenchable.'
3:18 And, therefore, indeed with many other things, exhorting, he was proclaiming good news to the people,
3:19 and Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him concerning Herodias the wife of Philip his brother, and concerning all the evils that Herod did,
3:20 added also this to all, that he shut up John in the prison.
3:21 And it came to pass, in all the people being baptised, Jesus also being baptised, and praying, the heaven was opened,
