Read Amplified Bible, 2015 Luke 3 Bible Online

Luke 3 - Amplified Bible, 2015 bible

Luke 3

¹Now in the fifteenth year of [Emperor][1] Tiberius Caesar's reign—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod [Antipas] was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene—

²in the high[2] priesthood of Annas and[3] Caiaphas [his son-in-law], the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

³And he went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin;

⁴as it is written and forever remains written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, [4]Make His paths straight.

⁵'Every ravine shall be filled up, And every mountain and hill shall be leveled; And the crooked [places] shall be made straight, And the rough roads smooth;

⁶and[5]all mankind shall see the salvation of God.'"

⁷So he began saying to the crowds who were coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of[6] vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath [of God that is] to come?

⁸Therefore produce fruit that is worthy of [and consistent with your] repentance [that is, live changed lives, turn from sin and seek God and His righteousness]. And do not even begin to say to yourselves [as a defense], 'We have Abraham for our father [and so our heritage assures us of salvation]'; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children (descendants) for Abraham [for God can replace the unrepentant, regardless of their heritage, with those who are obedient].

⁹Even now the axe [of God's judgment] is swinging toward the root of the trees; so every tree that does not produce good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire."

¹⁰The crowds asked him, "Then what are we to do?"

¹¹And John replied, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do the same."

¹²Even some tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked, "Teacher, what are we to do?"

¹³And he told them, "Collect no more than the fixed amount you have been ordered to [collect]."

¹⁴Some soldiers asked him, "And what about us, what are we to do?" And he replied to them, "Do not[7] extort money from anyone or harass or blackmail anyone, and be satisfied with your wages."

¹⁵Now the people were in a state of expectation, and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).

¹⁶John answered them all by saying, "As for me, I baptize you [only][8] with water; but One who is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I is coming, and I am not fit to untie the strap of His sandals [even as His slave]. He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and [you who remain unrepentant] with[9] fire.

¹⁷His[10] winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat (believers) into His barn (kingdom); but He will burn up the chaff (the unrepentant) with unquenchable fire."

¹⁸So with many other appeals and various admonitions John preached the good news (gospel) to the people.

¹⁹But when Herod [Antipas] the tetrarch was repeatedly reprimanded [and convicted by John's disapproval] for having[11] Herodias, his brother's wife [as his own], and for all the wicked things that Herod had done,

²⁰he also added this to them all: he locked up John in prison.

²¹Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, the [visible] heaven was opened,

²²and the[12] Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, "You are My Son, My Beloved, in You I am well-pleased and delighted!"

²³When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being, as was supposed, the son of Joseph, the son [by marriage] of Eli,

²⁴the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph,

²⁵the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggai,

²⁶the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda,

²⁷the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

²⁸the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,

²⁹the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

³⁰the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,

³¹the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

³²the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,

³³the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

³⁴the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

³⁵the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah,

³⁶the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

³⁷the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan,

³⁸the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.