CHAPTER 3
1 In the fifteenth year of the empire of Tiberius, the emperor (or Caesar), when Pilate of Pontii (or Pontius Pilate) governed Judea, and Herod was(the) prince of Galilee, and Philip, his brother, was(the) prince of Ituraea, and of the country of Trachonitis (or and of the province of Trachonitis), and Lysanias was(the) prince of Abilene,
2 under the princes of (the) priests, Annas and Caiaphas, the word of the Lord was made on John, the son of Zacharias, in (the) desert. (under the High Priests, Annas and Caiaphas, the word of the Lord came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the desert.)
3 And he came into all the country of (the) Jordan, and preached baptism of penance into remission of sins. (And he came into all the countryside of the Jordan River, and preached the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.)
4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias, the prophet, (or As it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah), The voice of a crier in (the) desert, [or The voice of one crying in (the) desert], Make ye ready the way of the Lord, make ye his paths right.
5 Each valley shall be full-filled, and every hill and little hill shall be made low; and shrewd things shall be into dressed things, and sharp things into plain ways; [Each valley shall be filled, and each mountain and little hill shall be made low; and shrewd things shall be into dressed things, and sharp things into plain ways;](Every valley shall be filled full or filled in, and every mountain and little hill shall be made low; and depraved or crooked things shall be made into aligned or straight things, and rugged or rough ways into smooth or flat ways;)
6 and every flesh [or each man] shall see the health of God. (and everyone shall see God’s salvation or deliverance.)
7 Therefore he said to the people, which went out to be baptized of him, Kindlings of adders, who showed to you to flee from the wrath to coming? [Therefore he said to the companies, that went out, (so) that they should be baptized of him, Fruits, or kindlings, of adders, who showed to you to flee from the wrath to come?](And so he said to the people, who went out to be baptized by him, Children of snakes, who showed to you to flee from the wrath to come?)
8 Therefore do ye worthy fruits of penance (or And so do ye worthy fruits of repentance), and begin ye not to say, We have a father Abraham; for I say to you, that God is mighty to raise (up out) of these stones the sons of Abraham.
9 And now an ax is set [or is put] to the root of the tree; and therefore every tree that maketh not good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire.
10 And the people asked him, and said, What then shall we do? (And the people asked him, Then what should we do?)
11 He answered, and said to them, He that hath two coats, give he to him that hath none; and he that hath meats (or and he who hath some food), do in like manner.
12 And [the] publicans came to be baptized; and they said to him, Master, what shall we do? (And the tax-collectors came to be baptized; and they said to him, Teacher, what should we do?)
13 And he said to them, Do ye nothing more, than that that is ordained to you.
14 And [the] knights asked him, and said, What shall also we do? (or And the soldiers asked him, What should we do?) And he said to them, Smite ye wrongfully no man, neither make ye false challenge, and be ye satisfied with your wages.
15 When all the people guessed, and all men thought in their hearts of John, lest peradventure he were Christ (or that perhaps he was the Messiah),
16 John answered, and said to all men, I baptize you in water; but a stronger (One) than I shall come after me, of whom I am not worthy to unbind the lace [or the thong] of his shoes; he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire (or he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire).
17 Whose winnowing tool, or fan, is in his hand, and he shall purge his floor of corn, [or and he shall purge his cornfloor], (or and he shall purge his floor of grain, or his threshing floor), and shall gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he shall burn with fire unquenchable.
18 And many other things also he spake, and preached to the people. [Forsooth and he stirring, or admonishing, many other things, evangelized to the people.]
19 But Herod [the] tetrarch, when he was blamed of John for Herodias (or after he was rebuked by John for wedding Herodias), the wife of his brother, and for all the evils that Herod did,
20 he increased this over all (or he added something even worse), and shut John in prison.
21 And it was done, when all the people was baptized, and when Jesus was baptized, and prayed, heaven was opened (or the heavens were opened).
22 And the Holy Ghost came down in bodily likeness, as a dove on him; and a voice was made from heaven, Thou art my dearworthy Son, in thee it hath well pleased to me. (And the Holy Spirit came down in bodily likeness, like a dove upon him; and a voice was made from heaven, Thou art my dearworthy Son, I am well pleased with thee.)
23 And Jesus himself was beginning as of thirty years, that he was guessed the son of Joseph, which was of Heli,
24 which was of Matthat, which was of Levi, which was of Melchi, that was of Janna, that was of Joseph,
25 that was of Mattathias, that was of Amos, that was of Naum, that was of Esli, that was of Nagge,
26 that was of Maath, that was of Mattathias, that was of Semei, that was of Joseph, that was of Juda,
27 that was of Joanna, that was of Rhesa, that was of Zorobabel, that was of Salathiel, that was of Neri,
28 that was of Melchi, that was of Addi, that was of Cosam, that was of Elmodam, that was of Er,
29 that was of Jose, that was of Eliezer, that was of Jorim, that was of Matthat, that was of Levi,
30 that was of Simeon, that was of Juda, that was of Joseph, that was of Jonan, that was of Eliakim,
31 that was of Melea, that was of Menan, that was of Mattatha, that was of Nathan, that was of David,
32 that was of Jesse, that was of Obed, that was of Booz, that was of Salmon, that was of Naasson,
33 that was of Aminadab, that was of Aram, that was of Esrom, that was of Phares, that was of Juda(h),
34 that was of Jacob, that was of Isaac, that was of Abraham, that was of Thara, that was of Nachor,
35 that was of Saruch, that was of Ragau, that was of Phalec, that was of Heber, that was of Sala,
36 that was of Cainan, that was of Arphaxad, that was of Sem, that was of Noe, that was of Lamech,
37 that was of Mathusala, that was of Enoch, that was of Jared, that was of Maleleel, that was of Cainan,
38 that was of Enos, that was of Seth, that was of Adam, that was of God.