Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

In the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar's reign, Pontius Pilate governed Judea, Herod tetrarched Galilee, his brother Philip held power in Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruled Abilene. Annas and Caiaphas served as high priests, and it was during their tenure that God's message came to John, son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

He came into all the country around Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, making his paths straight." Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places made straight, and rough ways smooth. All flesh shall see the salvation of God.

You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore, produce fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say among yourselves, "We have Abraham for our father," for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And now also the axe is laid to the root of every tree.

The people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?" He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise. Publicans came to be baptized, and said unto him, "Master, what shall we do? He said to them, "Collect no more than what is appointed to you.

Soldiers also demanded of him, saying, "What shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not extort from anyone by violence, nor falsely accuse anyone; be content with your wages." The people were in expectation, and all men pondered in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John said to them all, "I baptize you with water, but there is one who comes after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire, Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, gathering the wheat into his barn, but burning the chaff with unquenchable fire. Many other things in his exhortation he preached to the people. But Herod the tetrarch was rebuked by John for taking his brother Philip's wife, Herodias, and for all the evil he had done.

Jesus added to his message that he had John arrested and put in prison. When all the people had been baptized, it happened that Jesus also was baptized and praying; heaven was opened. The Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him, and a voice from heaven said, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."

Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being supposed to be the son of Joseph, who was the son of Heli. His genealogy went back through Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Janna, Joseph, Mattathias, Amos, Naum, Esli, Nagge, Maath, Semei, Joseph, Judah, Joanna, Rhesa, Zorobabel, Salathiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmodam, Er, Jose, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi, Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonam, Eliakim, Melea, Menan, Mattatha, Nathan, David.

He was the son of Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon, Aminadab, Aram, Esrom, Phares, Judah. He was the son of Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nachor, Saruch, Ragau, Phalec, Heber, Sala, Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech. He was the son of Mathusala, Enoch, Jared, Maleleel, Cainan, Enos, Seth, Adam, formed by God.