File:Saint John the Baptist delivers a message about Jesus.jpg

Summary
Saint John the Baptist and the Pharisees (Saint Jean-Baptiste et les pharisiens) Matthew 3:1 - 3:2 - 3:3 - 3:4 - 3:5 - 3:6 - 3:7 - 3:8 - 3:9

3:1. In those days, John the Baptist came preaching in the desert of Judea

3:2. and saying, “Do penance, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

Do penance. . .Paenitentiam agite. This phrase, according to the use of the scriptures and the holy Fathers, does not only signify repentance and amendment of life, but also punishing past sins by fasting, and similar penitential exercises.

3:3. For this is he that was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one crying in the desert, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.'”

3:4. The same John had his garment of camel's hair, and a leather girdle about his loins, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

3:5. Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the country about Jordan went out to him

3:6. and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

3:7. Seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who has shown you to flee from the wrath to come?

Pharisees and Sadducees. . .These were two sects among the Jews: of which the former were for the most part notorious hypocrites; the latter, a kind of freethinkers in matters of religion.

3:8. “Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance.

3:9. “Do not think to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father.' For I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

Luke 3:2 - 3:3 - 3:4 - 3:5 - 3:6 - 3:7 - 3:8 - 3:9 - 3:10 - 3:11 - 3:12 - 3:13 - 3:14 - 3:15 - 3:16 - 3:17 - 3:18

3:2. under the high priests Annas and Caiphas, the word of the Lord was made known to John, the son of Zechariah, in the desert.

3:3. He came into all the country around the Jordan, preaching the baptism of penance for the remission of sins,

3:4. as it was written in the book of the sayings of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.

3:5. “'Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways plain,

3:6. “'and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'”

3:7. He said therefore to the multitudes that came to be baptized by him, “Offspring of vipers, who has shown you to flee from the wrath to come?

3:8. “Produce fruits befitting repentance, and do not begin to say, 'We have Abraham for our father,' for I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

'''3:9. “For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not produce good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire.”'''

3:10. The people asked him, “What then shall we do?”

3:11. He answered them, “Let him that has two coats give to him that has none; and let him that has meat do likewise.”

3:12. The publicans also came to be baptized and said to him, “Master, what shall we do?”

3:13. But he said to them, “Do not take more than that which is appointed you.”

3:14. The soldiers also asked him, “And what shall we do?” He said to them, “Do violence to no man, nor calumniate any man, and be content with your pay.”

3:15. As the people were of the opinion, and all were thinking in their hearts that perhaps John might be the Christ,

'''3:16. John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water, but there shall come one mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loosen. He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.'''

3:17. “His fan is in His hand, and He will purge His floor and will gather the wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

3:18. He also exhorted many other things as he preached to the people.