Luke 3

Modern

Literal

The Mission of John the Baptist

¹In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

¹And in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip being tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and of Trachonitis, and Lysanias being tetrarch of Abilene,

²during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

²during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came upon John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

³He went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,

³And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance unto forgiveness of sins,

⁴as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for Him.

⁴as it has been written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight His paths.

⁵Every valley shall be filled in,

and every mountain and hill made low.

The crooked ways shall be made straight,

and the rough ways smooth.

⁵Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low; and the crooked will become straight, and the rough ways into smooth.

⁶And all humanity will see God’s salvation.’”^a

⁶And all flesh will see the salvation of God.”

⁷Then John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

⁷Then he was saying to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “Offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

⁸Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. And do not begin 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.

⁸Therefore produce fruits worthy of repentance. And do not begin to say in yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as father.’ For I say to you that out of these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

⁹The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

⁹And already also the ax is laid to the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and is thrown into fire.”

¹⁰The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”

¹⁰And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “What then shall we do?”

¹¹John replied, “Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.”

¹¹And answering, he was saying to them, “The one having two tunics, let him impart to the one having none; and the one having food, let him do likewise.”

¹²Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

¹²And tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”

¹³“Collect no more than you are authorized,” he answered.

¹³And he said to them, “Exact nothing more than that having been appointed to you.”

¹⁴Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

“Do not take money by force or false accusation,” he said. “Be content with your wages.”

¹⁴And those being soldiers were also questioning him, saying, “And what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Extort no one, nor accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”

¹⁵The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John could be the Christ.

¹⁵And the people are expecting, and all are reasoning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ.

¹⁶John answered all of them: “I baptize you with water,^a but One more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.^b He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.^c

¹⁶John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you in water, but the One mightier than I comes, of whom I am not sufficient to loose the strap of His sandals. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire,

¹⁷His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

¹⁷whose winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly cleanse His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

¹⁸With these and many other exhortations, John proclaimed the good news to the people.

¹⁸Therefore indeed, exhorting many other things, he was proclaiming good news to the people.

¹⁹But when he rebuked Herod the tetrarch regarding his brother’s wife Herodias and all the evils he had done,

¹⁹But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him concerning Herodias the wife of his brother and concerning all the evils that Herod did,

²⁰Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

²⁰also added this to all: He also locked up John in prison.

The Baptism of Jesus

²¹When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as He was praying, heaven was opened,

²¹Now it came to pass, in all the people having been baptized and Jesus having been baptized and praying, that heaven was opened,

²²and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

²²and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in a bodily form as a dove. And a voice came out of heaven: “You are My Son, the Beloved; in You I was well pleased.”

The Genealogy of Jesus

²³Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began His ministry.

He was regarded as the son of Joseph,

the son of Heli,

²³And Jesus Himself, beginning, was about thirty years old, being son, as was supposed, of Joseph, of Heli,

²⁴the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi,

the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

²⁴of Matthat, of Levi, of Melchi, of Jannai, of Joseph,

²⁵the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum,

the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,

²⁵of Mattathias, of Amos, of Nahum, of Esli, of Naggai,

²⁶the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,

the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

²⁶of Maath, of Mattathias, of Semein, of Josech, of Joda,

²⁷the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel,

the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

²⁷of Joannen, of Rhesa, of Zerubbabel, of Shealtiel, of Neri,

²⁸the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,

the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

²⁸of Melchi, of Addi, of Cosam, of Elmadam, of Er,

²⁹the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim,

the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

²⁹of Joshua, of Eliezer, of Jorim, of Matthat, of Levi,

³⁰the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,

the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

³⁰of Simeon, of Judah, of Joseph, of Jonam, of Eliakim,

³¹the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha,

the son of Nathan, the son of David,

³¹of Melea, of Menna, of Mattatha, of Nathan, of David,

³²the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,

the son of Sala,^a the son of Nahshon,

³²of Jesse, of Obed, of Boaz, of Sala, of Nahshon,

³³the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin,^a the son of Arni,^b

the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

³³of Amminadab, of Admin, of Arni, of Hezron, of Perez, of Judah,

³⁴the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,

the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

³⁴of Jacob, of Isaac, of Abraham, of Terah, of Nahor,

³⁵the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg,

the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,

³⁵of Serug, of Reu, of Peleg, of Eber, of Shelah,

³⁶the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,

the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

³⁶of Cainan, of Arphaxad, of Shem, of Noah, of Lamech,

³⁷the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared,

the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan,

³⁷of Methuselah, of Enoch, of Jared, of Mahalalel, of Cainan,

³⁸the son of Enosh,^a the son of Seth, the son of Adam,

the son of God.

³⁸of Enosh, of Seth, of Adam, of God.