And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judæa, saying,
Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
{Isaiah 40:3.}The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
Make ye ready the way of the Lord,
Make his paths straight.
Now John himself had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judæa, and all the region round about the Jordan;
and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming {Or, for baptism}to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of {Or, your repentance}repentance:
and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
I indeed baptize you {Or, with}in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not {Greek: sufficient.}worthy to bear: he shall baptize you {Or, with}in the Holy Spirit and in fire:
whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor; and he will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
But John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer {Or, me}it now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffereth him.
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened {Some ancient authorities omit unto him.}unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him;
and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, {Or, This is my Son; my beloved in whom I am well pleased. See chapter 12:18}This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Querverweise zu Matthäus 3,4 Mt 3,4
But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft raiment are in kings' houses.
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a demon.
He made him ride on the high places of the earth,And he did eat the increase of the field;And he made him to suck honey out of the rock,And oil out of the flinty rock;
And they answered him, He was a {Or, a man with a garment of hair}hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
Even these of them ye may eat: the {Four kinds of locusts or grasshoppers, which are not certainly known.}locust after its kind, and the {Four kinds of locusts or grasshoppers, which are not certainly known.}bald locust after its kind, and the {Four kinds of locusts or grasshoppers, which are not certainly known.}cricket after its kind, and the {Four kinds of locusts or grasshoppers, which are not certainly known.}grasshopper after its kind.
And all {Hebrew: the land.}the people came into the forest; and there was honey upon the ground.
And when the people were come unto the forest, behold, {Or, a stream of honey}the honey dropped: but no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath.
But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he prophesieth; neither shall they wear a hairy mantle to deceive:
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come.
And John was clothed with camel's hair, and had a leathern girdle about his loins, and did eat locusts and wild honey.
And he shall {Some ancient authorities read come nigh before his face.}go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to walk in the wisdom of the just; to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.
And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.