Matthew · Majority Standard Bible
Matthew 3 Majority Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
MSB Majority Standard Bible
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
PT1904 Patriarchal Text 1904 (accented, eBible edition)
1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
1 In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,
1 Ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις παραγίνεται Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτιστὴς κηρύσσων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῆς Ἰουδαίας
2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
2 “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”
2 καὶ λέγων· μετανοεῖτε· ἤγγικε γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.
3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
3 For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make the way of the Lord ready! Make his paths straight!”
3 οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ῥηθεὶς ὑπὸ Ἡσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν Κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ.
4 John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
4 Now John himself wore clothing made of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
4 Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Ἰωάννης εἶχε τὸ ἔνδυμα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τριχῶν καμήλου καὶ ζώνην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ, ἡ δὲ τροφὴ αὐτοῦ ἦν ἀκρίδες καὶ μέλι ἄγριον.
5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan.
5 Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him.
5 Τότε ἐξεπορεύετο πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἱεροσόλυμα καὶ πᾶσα ἡ Ἰουδαία καὶ πᾶσα ἡ περίχωρος τοῦ Ἰορδάνου,
6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan.
6 They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
6 καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐξομολογούμενοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν.
7 But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
7 ἰδὼν δὲ πολλοὺς τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων ἐρχομένους ἐπὶ τὸ βάπτισμα αὐτοῦ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, τίς ὑπέδειξεν ὑμῖν φυγεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς μελλούσης ὀργῆς;
8 Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance.
8 Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance!
8 ποιήσατε οὖν καρπὸν ἄξιον τῆς μετανοίας,
9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
9 Don’t think to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
9 καὶ μὴ δόξητε λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, πατέρα ἔχομεν τὸν Ἀβραάμ. λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι δύναται ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τῶν λίθων τούτων ἐγεῖραι τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάμ.
10 The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
10 Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down, and cast into the fire.
10 ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἡ ἀξίνη πρὸς τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν δένδρων κεῖται· πᾶν οὖν δένδρον μὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν ἐκκόπτεται καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται.
11 I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
11 “I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.
11 ἐγὼ μὲν βαπτίζω ὑμᾶς ἐν ὕδατι εἰς μετάνοιαν· ὁ δὲ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἰσχυρότερός μού ἐστιν, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς τὰ ὑποδήματα βαστάσαι· αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς βαπτίσει ἐν Πνεύματι Ἁγίῳ καὶ πυρί.
12 His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.”
12 οὗ τὸ πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ διακαθαριεῖ τὴν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ, καὶ συνάξει τὸν σῖτον αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην, τὸ δὲ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρὶ ἀσβέστῳ.
13 At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.
13 Τότε παραγίνεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην τοῦ βαπτισθῆναι ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ.
14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”
14 But John would have hindered him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?”
14 ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης διεκώλυεν αὐτὸν λέγων· ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι, καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρός με;
15 “Let it be so now,” Jesus replied. “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.” Then John permitted Him.
15 But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him.
15 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν· ἄφες ἄρτι· οὕτω γὰρ πρέπον ἐστὶν ἡμῖν πληρῶσαι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην. τότε ἀφίησιν αὐτόν·
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him.
16 Jesus, when he was baptized, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him.
16 καὶ βαπτισθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀνέβη εὐθὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνεῴχθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ οὐρανοί, καὶ εἶδε τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν καὶ ἐρχόμενον ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν·
17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
17 Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
17 καὶ ἰδοὺ φωνὴ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν λέγουσα· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
John the Baptist
Son of Zechariah, who preached in the wilderness and baptized in the Jordan, pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God, rebuked Herod over Herodias and was imprisoned and beheaded.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 3:1; Matthew 14:3; Luke 1:13
Cross references (17)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Isaiah 40:3–6; John 1:6–8; Luke 1:13–17; Luke 1:76; Luke 3:1–20
- 2 Mark 1:15; Matthew 4:17; Daniel 2:44; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Luke 24:47
- 3 Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1; John 1:23; Luke 1:76; Mark 1:3
- 4 2 Kings 1:8; Mark 1:6; Matthew 11:8; Zechariah 13:4; Leviticus 11:22
- 5 Mark 1:5; John 5:35; Matthew 11:7–12; John 3:23; Luke 3:7
- 6 Acts 19:18; Matthew 3:13–16; 1 John 1:9; John 1:25–28; Ezekiel 36:25
- 7 Matthew 12:34; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Matthew 22:23; Romans 5:9; Matthew 23:33
- 8 Luke 3:8; Acts 26:20; 2 Peter 1:4–8; Galatians 5:22–23; Ephesians 5:9
- 9 Luke 3:8; Romans 9:7–8; Galatians 3:27–29; John 8:33; Acts 13:26
- 10 John 15:6; Luke 3:9; Matthew 7:19; John 15:2; Luke 13:6–9
- 11 Isaiah 4:4; Luke 3:16; Acts 1:5; Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:2–4
- 12 Malachi 4:1; Matthew 13:30; Luke 3:17; Isaiah 41:16; Jeremiah 51:2
- 13 John 1:32–34; Matthew 2:22; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–22
- 14 John 3:3–7; Acts 1:5–8; John 13:6–8; John 1:16; Ephesians 2:3–5
- 15 John 4:34; Isaiah 42:21; John 13:15; John 15:10; Philippians 2:7–8
- 16 Isaiah 11:2; Luke 3:21–22; Mark 1:10; John 1:31–34; Isaiah 42:1
- 17 Isaiah 42:1; Matthew 17:5; Psalm 2:7; Luke 9:35; Matthew 12:18
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
How "in those days"? For not then, surely, when He was a child, and came to Nazareth, but thirty years after, John cometh; as Luke also testifies. How then is it said, "in those days"?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough into smooth ways; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." There is therefore one and the same God, the Father of our Lord, who also promised, through the prophets, that He would send His forerunner; and …
For Thou correctest man for iniquity, and "Thy judgments are a great deep." But because Thy Spirit was "borne over the waters," Thy mercy forsook not our misery, and Thou saidst, "Let there be light," "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Repent ye, let there be light.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
… a better country." And again, "These all died in faith, not having obtained the promises, but having seen them afar off, and embraced them." And John too said unto those that were coming to him, "Think not to say, We have Abraham to our father." And Paul again, "For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel; neither they, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
This man was baptizing in Jordan, and there went out unto him all Jerusalem, to enjoy the first-fruits of baptisms: for in Jerusalem is the prerogative of all things good.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)