The Herald of the Messiah

3 In those days John the Baptist came,^(A) preaching in the wilderness of Judea^{(B) 2} and saying, ‘Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near! ’^{(C) 3} For he is the one spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, who said:

⁴ Now John had a camel-hair garment with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then people from Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity of the Jordan were going out to him, ⁶ and they were baptised by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins.^(E)

⁷ When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees^(F) coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{(G) 8} Therefore produce fruit^(H) consistent with^[b] repentance. ⁹ And don’t presume to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our father.”^(I) For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. ¹⁰ The axe is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.^(J)

⁴ John came baptising^[b](D) in the wilderness^(E) and proclaiming a baptism of repentance^(F) for the forgiveness^(G) of sins.^{(H) 5} The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem^(I) were going out to him, and they were baptised by him in the River Jordan,^(J) confessing^(K) their sins.^(L)