NOW in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene: (2)when Annas and Caiaphas were high-priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness; (3)and he came into all the country on the confines of Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; (4)as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths strait: (5)every valley shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be levelled, and the crooked ways made strait, and the rough roads smooth: (6)and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." (7)He said, therefore, to the multitudes who came out to be baptised by him, Ye broods of vipers, who hath warned you to fly from the approaching wrath? (8)Produce then fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say in yourselves, We have a father, even Abraham; for I say unto you, That God is able out of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. (9)But now is the ax laid even to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that produceth not good fruit, is cut down and cast into the fire. (10)And the multitudes asked him, saying, What then shall we do? (11)And he answering said to them, He that hath two coats, let him give to him that hath none; and he that hath provisions, let him do in like manner. (12)Then came also the farmers of the taxes to be baptised, and they said unto him, Master, what shall we do? (13)He said unto them, Exact nothing more than is appointed for you. (14)And the military men also asked him, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Extort nothing by force; nor turn informers; and be content with your pay. (15)Now when the people were in expectation, and many reasoned in their hearts respecting John, whether he were the Messiah, (16)John addressed himself to them all, saying, I indeed baptise you with water; but one mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie: he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and with fire; (17)whose winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor, and collect the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. (18)Thus in many and various discourses exhorting them, he preached the glad tidings of the gospel to the people. (19)Now Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him, on account of Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the other wicked actions which he had done, (20)added this also to all the rest, and shut up John in prison.