1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judæa, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2 Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. 7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? 11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. 12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? 13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. 14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. 15 And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; 16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: 17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. 18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison. 21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. 23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, 25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, 26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, 27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, 28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, 29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, 30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, 31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, 32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, 33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, 34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, 35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, 36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, 37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, 38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.
Predica lui Ioan Botezătorul
1 În anul al cincisprezecelea al domniei lui Tiberiu Cezar pe când Pilat din Pont era procuratorul Iudeii, Irod era tetrarh al Galileii, Filip, fratele lui, era tetrarh al Itureii şi al Trahonitidei iar Lisanias, tetrarh al Abilenei, 2 şi mari preoţi erau Anna şi Caiafa, Dumnezeu i-a vorbit lui Ioan, fiul lui Zaharia, în pustie. 3 Iar el a străbătut tot ţinutul Iordanului vestind botezul pocăinţei spre iertarea păcatelor, 4 după cum stă scris în cartea cuvintelor profetului Isaia:
Glasul celui care strigă în pustie:
Pregătiţi calea pentru Domnul,
drepte faceţi cărările înaintea Lui.
5 Orice vale se va umple,
orice munte şi orice deal se vor pleca,
căile strâmbe vor fi îndreptate
iar cele colţuroase vor fi netezite.
6 Şi orice făptură va vedea mântuirea lui Dumnezeu.
7 Astfel, Ioan spunea mulţimilor care veneau la el să fie botezate: „Pui de vipere, cine v-a învăţat să fugiţi de mânia ce va să vină? 8 Faceţi deci roade vrednice de pocăinţă şi nu începeţi să spuneţi în sinea voastră: Îl avem ca tată pe Avraam, pentru că vă spun că Dumnezeu poate să ridice fii ai lui Avraam şi din pietrele acestea. 9 Securea stă deja la rădăcina pomilor şi orice pom care nu face rod bun va fi tăiat şi aruncat în foc.” 10 Iar mulţimile l-au întrebat: „Atunci, ce să facem?” 11 Şi Ioan le-a răspuns: „Cel ce are două haine să împartă cu cel care nu are, iar cel ce are mâncare să facă la fel.” 12 Au venit şi nişte vameşi să fie botezaţi şi l-au întrebat: „Învăţătorule, ce să facem?” 13 Iar el le-a spus: „Să nu luaţi nimic mai mult decât vi s-a poruncit.” 14 L-au întrebat şi nişte soldaţi: „Noi ce trebuie să facem?” Iar el le-a spus: „Să nu asupriţi şi să nu înşelaţi pe nimeni. Să vă mulţumiţi cu solda voastră.”
15 Şi pentru că poporul era în aşteptare şi toţi se gândeau în inimile lor dacă nu cumva Ioan este Hristos, 16 el le-a răspuns tuturor: „Eu vă botez cu apă, dar vine Cel care este mai puternic decât mine, iar eu nu sunt vrednic să-I dezleg cureaua sandalelor. El vă va boteza cu Duh Sfânt şi cu foc. 17 El are lopata în mână ca să-şi cureţe aria şi să-şi adune grâul în hambar, iar pleava o va arde într-un foc de nestins.” 18 Astfel propovăduia Ioan vestea cea bună poporului, dând şi multe alte îndemnuri. 19 Dar tetrarhul Irod, pe care Ioan îl mustra din cauza Irodiadei, soţia fratelui său, şi pentru toate faptele rele pe care le făcuse, 20 a adăugat la toate acestea şi închiderea lui Ioan în temniţă.
Botezul lui Iisus
21 După ce a fost botezat tot poporul, a fost botezat şi Iisus, iar pe când se ruga s-a deschis cerul 22 şi Duhul Sfânt s-a coborât peste El în chip trupesc, ca un porumbel, şi s-a auzit un glas din cer: „Tu eşti Fiul Meu iubit, în Tine Îmi aflu bucuria.”
Genealogia lui Iisus
23 Şi acesta era Iisus, care avea aproape treizeci de ani, fiind, după cum se credea, fiul lui Iosif, fiul lui Eli, 24 fiul lui Matat, fiul lui Levi, fiul lui Melhi, fiul lui Ianai, fiul lui Iosif, 25 fiul lui Matatia, fiul lui Amos, fiul lui Naum, fiul lui Esli, fiul lui Nagai, 26 fiul lui Maat, fiul lui Matatia, fiul lui Semei, fiul lui Iose, fiul lui Ioda, 27 fiul lui Ioanan, fiul lui Resa, fiul lui Zorobabel, fiul lui Salatiel, fiul lui Neri, 28 fiul lui Melhi, fiul lui Addi, fiul lui Cosam, fiul lui Elmadam, fiul lui Er, 29 fiul lui Iisus, fiul lui Eliezer, fiul lui Iorim, fiul lui Matat, fiul lui Levi, 30 fiul lui Simeon, fiul lui Iuda, fiul lui Iosif, fiul lui Ionam, fiul lui Eliachim, 31 fiul lui Melea, fiul lui Mena, fiul lui Matata, fiul lui Natan, fiul lui David, 32 fiul lui Iese, fiul lui Iobed, fiul lui Booz, fiul lui Salmon, fiul lui Naason, 33 fiul lui Aminadab, fiul lui Admin, fiul lui Arni, fiul lui Esrom, fiul lui Fares, fiul lui Iuda, 34 fiul lui Iacov, fiul lui Isaac, fiul lui Avraam, fiul lui Tara, fiul lui Nahor, 35 fiul lui Seruh, fiul lui Ragau, fiul lui Falec, fiul lui Eber, fiul lui Sala, 36 fiul lui Cainam, fiul lui Arfaxad, fiul lui Sem, fiul lui Noe, fiul lui Lameh, 37 fiul lui Matusala, fiul lui Enoh, fiul lui Iared, fiul lui Maleleel, fiul lui Cainan, 38 fiul lui Enos, fiul lui Set, fiul lui Adam, fiul lui Dumnezeu.
