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as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.
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Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth;
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And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.' "
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Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
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Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
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And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
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So the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"
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He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."
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Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?"
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And he said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you."
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Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?" So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages."
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Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not,
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John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
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His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."
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And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.
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But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
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also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.
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When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.
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And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."
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Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,
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the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph,