Luke
Chapter 3
1 In the fifteenth year when Tiberius Caesar ruled, Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judaea, Herod ruled Galilee, his brother Philip ruled Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruled Abilene.
2 During the time Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, God spoke to John, Zacharias’s son, in the desert.
3 He went through the whole region around the Jordan River, teaching about a baptism for repentance to forgive sins.
4 The book of the prophet Isaiah says, “A voice calls out in the desert, ‘Get ready for God’s way, make a straight path for him.’”
5 Every low place will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low; the winding roads will be made straight, and the rough paths will be made smooth.
6 Everyone will see how God saves.
7 He told the crowd coming to be baptized, “You brood of snakes, who warned you to escape the coming anger?”
8 Produce actions that show you have changed for the better, and don’t think you can say, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ because I tell you, God can turn these stones into descendants for Abraham.
9 The axe is now at the root of the trees: every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
10 The people asked him, “What should we do?”
11 He answered and said to them, “If you have two coats, give one to the person who has none; and if you have food, do the same.”
12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13 He told them, “Don’t take more than what you are told to.”
14 The soldiers also asked him, “What should we do?” He told them, “Don’t hurt anyone, don’t lie about others, and be happy with your pay.”
15 As the people waited and wondered to themselves if John might be the Christ,
16 John replied to everyone, “I baptize you in water, but someone more powerful than me is coming. I’m not good enough to untie his shoes. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
17 He holds a winnowing fan to clean his threshing area and he will bring the wheat into his barn, but he will burn the chaff with a fire that cannot be put out.
18 He preached many other things to encourage the people.
19 But Herod the ruler, being corrected by him for taking Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the bad things Herod had done,
20 He also did this: he put John in jail.
21 After everyone was baptized, when Jesus was also baptized and was praying, the sky opened up.
22 The Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove on him, and a voice from heaven said, “You are my dear Son; I am happy with you.”
23 Jesus started to be about thirty years old, and people thought he was Joseph’s son, who was Heli’s son.
24 He was the son of Matthat, who was Levi’s son, who was Melchi’s son, who was Janna’s son, who was Joseph’s son.
25 He was the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Naum, the son of Esli, the son of Nagge.
26 He was the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Juda.
27 He was the son of Joanna, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri.
28 He was the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, and the son of Er.
29 He was the son of Jose, who was the son of Eliezer, who was the son of Jorim, who was the son of Matthat, who was the son of Levi.
30 He was the son of Simeon, the son of Juda, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim.
31 He was the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David.
32 He was the son of Jesse, who was the son of Obed, who was the son of Boaz, who was the son of Salmon, who was the son of Nahshon.
33 He was the son of Aminadab, who was the son of Aram, who was the son of Esrom, who was the son of Phares, who was the son of Judah.
34 He was Jacob’s son, who was Isaac’s son, who was Abraham’s son, who was Thara’s son, who was Nachor’s son.
35 He was the son of Saruch, who was the son of Ragau, who was the son of Phalec, who was the son of Heber, who was the son of Sala.
36 He was the son of Cainan, who was the son of Arphaxad, who was the son of Shem, who was the son of Noah, who was the son of Lamech.
37 He was the son of Methuselah, who was the son of Enoch, who was the son of Jared, who was the son of Mahalaleel, who was the son of Cainan.
38 He was Enos’s son, Seth’s grandson, Adam’s great-grandson, and God’s descendant.