3 It was the fifteenth year of the rule of Caesar Tiberius when Pontius Pilate was the governor of Yudea and Herod was the ruler of the Galilean quarter. His brother Philip was the ruler of the Iturean quarter and of the region of Traconitis, and Lysanias was the ruler of the Abilene quarter. 2 Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests in Yerushalem, and this was the time when Yohan (son of Zechariah) began preaching God’s message in the wilderness. 3 He went around all the areas surrounding the Yordan River, telling the people that they could get immersed in water as a sign they were turning away from disobeying God and requesting forgiveness 4 [ref]just like the prophet Isayah had written:

‘The voice shouting in the wilderness

prepare Yahweh’s road,

make his paths straight.

5 Every valley will be filled up,

and every mountain and hill will be levelled off.

What’s crooked will be made straight,

and the rough roads will be made smooth.

6 and everybody will see God’s salvation.’

7 [ref]Because of that, he was telling the crowds that went out there to be immersed by him, “Bunch of snakes! Who warned you all to flee from the severe anger that’s coming? 8 [ref]So then start demonstrating the qualities that show you have actually turned from your disobedience. And don’t start by telling me that you’re descendants of Abraham, because I can tell you all that God could make descendants out of these stones here. 9 [ref]The axe is already sitting at the base of the trees, so that every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”

10 “What should we do then,” the crowds asked him.

11 “If you’ve got two jackets, give one to someone who doesn’t have one,” he replied, “and similarly if you’ve got food.”

12 [ref]Even some tax-collectors came to be immersed, and they asked Yohan, “Teacher, what should we do?”

13 “Don’t collect any extra on top of what you’ve been told to collect,” he said.

14 “And what about us too,” some soldiers inquired.

“Don’t bully people or falsely accuse anyone,” Yohan answered, “and be content with your wages.”

15 The people were expecting that the messiah might come to save them and started wondering in their minds if maybe it was Yohan 16 but he explained to them all, “I’ve been immersing you all in water, but there’s one coming who’s greater than me, in fact I’m not even worthy to unlace his sandals. He will immerse you all with the holy spirit and with fire. 17 He’ll hold the winnowing fork so he can clear out the threshing floor, gathering the wheat into his barn and burning up the chaff with a fire that never goes out.”

18 Yohan preached the good message to the people and also encouraged them to change for the better. 19 [ref]He scolded King Herod (who was the ruler of the Galilean quarter) about marrying his own brother Philip’s wife Herodias. Herod had also been scolded by him about many other evil things that he’d done, 20 and then he added to his evils by having Yohan locked up in prison.