MODERN LITERAL VERSION

3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the government of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region made up of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias being Tetrarch of Abilene,
3:2 in the time of Annas and Caiaphas, the high-priests, the declaration of God came* to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
3:3 And he came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching the immersion* of repentance toward the forgiveness of sins;
3:4 as it has been 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.
3:5 Every valley will be filled and every mountain and hill will be humbled. And the crooked will become straight and the rough ways, smooth.
3:6 And all flesh will see the salvation of God.' {Is. 40:3-5}

3:7 Therefore, he said to the crowds that went out to be immersed* by him, You* offspring of vipers, who warned you* to flee from the future wrath?
3:8 Therefore produce fruits worthy of repentance and do not begin to say with yourselves, We have Abraham *for our father; for* I say to you* that God is able to lift up children to Abraham from these stones.
3:9 And the ax is also already destined *for the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree which is not producing good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.

3:10 And the crowds asked him, saying, Then* what shall we do?

3:11 And answering, he said to them, He who has two tunics, let him give one to him who has none, and he who has food, let him do likewise.

3:12 And tax collectors also came to be immersed*, and they said to him, Teacher, what shall we do?

3:13 And he said to them, Appropriate no more than what is appointed for you*.

3:14 And the active soldiers also asked him, saying, And we, what shall we do?
And he said to them, Intimidate no one, nor cheat anyone, and be content with your* rations.

3:15 But the people are expecting, and all are reasoning in their hearts concerning John, maybe, he might be the Christ;
3:16 John answered, saying to them all, I indeed immerse* you* in water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose shoes I am not sufficient to loose. He will immerse* you* in the Holy Spirit, and with fire;
3:17 whose winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will gather the grain into his barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.

3:18 Therefore indeed, encouraging also with many other things, he is proclaiming the good-news to the people.
{Mk 1:14a & Mt 4:12 & Lk 3:19-20 & Jn 4:1-4 Judea to Galilee.}

3:19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him concerning Herodias his brother's wife and concerning all the evil things which Herod had done,
3:20 also added this to them all, and he locked up John in the prison.
{Mk 1:9-11 & Mt 3:13-17 Lk 3:21-22 Jordan east of Jericho, Spring 27 AD.}

3:21 Now it happened, when all the people were immersed*, (Jesus also having been immersed*), while praying, the heaven was opened,
3:22 and the Holy Spirit came down in bodily form, like a dove upon him, and a voice came* from heaven, saying, You are my beloved Son. I am delighted in you.

3:23 And he was approximately thirty years old, when beginning to teach, (as it was supposed, the son of Joseph). Although Jesus, himself was descended from Heli,
3:24 from Matthat, from Levi, from Melchi, from Jannai, from Joseph,
3:25 from Mattathias, from Amos, from Nahum, from Esli, from Naggai,
3:26 from Maath, from Mattathias, from Semein, from Joseph, from Joda,
3:27 from Joanan, from Rhesa, from Zerubbabel, from Shealtiel, from Neri,
3:28 from Melchi, from Addi, from Cosam, from Elmadam, from Er,
3:29 from Joses, from Eliezer, from Jorim, from Matthat, from Levi,
3:30 from Symeon, from Judas, from Joseph, from Jonam, from Eliakim,
3:31 from Melea, from Menna, from Mattatha, from Nathan, from David,
3:32 from Jesse, from Obed, from Boaz, from Salmon, from Nahshon,
3:33 from Amminadab, from Ram, from Hezron, from Perez, from Judah,
3:34 from Jacob, from Isaac, from Abraham, from Terah, from Nahor,
3:35 from Serug, from Reu, from Peleg, from Eber, from Shelah,
3:36 from Cainan, from Arphaxad, from Shem, from Noah, from Lamech,
3:37 from Methuselah, from Enoch, from Jared, from Mahalaleel, from Cainan,
3:38 from Enos, from Seth, from Adam, who was from God.
{Mk 1:12-13 & Mt 4:1-11 & Lk 4:1-13.}