Luke 3

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

1This happened in the fifteenth year that Tiberius Caesar ruled Rome. Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judaea, the ruler for Rome. Herod ruled part of the land called Galilee. His brother Philip ruled Ituraea and Trachonitis. Lysanias ruled Abilene.

2Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

2Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests, the top leaders at the temple. At that time God spoke his word to John, the son of Zacharias. John was out in the desert.

3And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

3John went all around the land near the Jordan River. He told people to turn away from their sins and be baptized, washed in the river. Then their sins would be forgiven.

4As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

4This is what Esaias the prophet wrote long ago. A prophet was someone who told people what God said. He wrote: "Someone is calling out in the desert. Get the road ready for the Lord. Make his paths straight."

Note"Esaias" is an old spelling of the name Isaiah. He was a prophet who lived hundreds of years before John.

5Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

5"Every low valley will be filled up. Every mountain and hill will be made low. Crooked roads will be made straight. Bumpy roads will be made smooth."

6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

6"And every person will see how God saves."

7Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

7Crowds came out to be baptized by John. He said to them, "You are like a nest of poison snakes. Who told you to run away from the anger that is coming?"

8Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin 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.

8"Live in a way that shows you really have changed. Do not tell yourselves, 'Abraham is our father, so we are safe.' God could take these stones and make them into children for Abraham."

9And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

9"The axe is already lying at the roots of the trees. Every tree that does not grow good fruit gets chopped down. Then it is thrown into the fire."

10And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

10The people asked him, "So what should we do?"

11He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

11John answered them, "If you have two shirts, give one to someone who has none. If you have food, share it too."

12Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

12Some tax collectors came to be baptized. They asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?"

NoteThe King James Bible calls them "publicans." They were men who collected tax money for the Roman rulers.

13And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

13He told them, "Do not take more money than you are told to take."

14And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

14Some soldiers asked him too, "And what should we do?" He said, "Do not hurt people or take their money. Do not tell lies about anyone. Be happy with the pay you get."

15And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not;

15The people were waiting and hoping. They all wondered in their hearts if John might be the Christ, the special king God promised to send.

16John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

16John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But someone stronger than I am is coming. I am not even good enough to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."

17Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

17"He is holding his big wooden fork. He will clean off his whole grain floor. He will gather the good wheat into his barn. But he will burn the useless husks in a fire that no one can put out."

NoteThe "fan" was a wooden fork. Farmers used it to toss grain into the air. The wind blew the light husks away, and the good grain fell down. The husks were called chaff. The "floor" was the flat ground where farmers did this work.

18And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people.

18John said many other things like this. He kept telling the people the good news.

19But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

19John told Herod the ruler that he was wrong. Herod had taken Herodias, the wife of his own brother Philip. John also told him he was wrong for all the other bad things he did.

20Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

20So Herod did one more bad thing on top of all the rest. He locked John up in prison.

21Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

21All the people were being baptized, and Jesus was baptized too. While Jesus was praying, heaven opened.

22And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

22The Holy Spirit came down on him. The Spirit looked like a dove coming down. A voice spoke from heaven and said, "You are my Son, and I love you. I am very pleased with you."

23And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

23Jesus was about thirty years old when he started his work. People thought he was the son of Joseph. Joseph's father was Heli.

24Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph,

24Heli's father was Matthat. Matthat's father was Levi. Levi's father was Melchi. Melchi's father was Janna. Janna's father was Joseph.

25Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge,

25That Joseph's father was Mattathias. Mattathias's father was Amos. Amos's father was Naum. Naum's father was Esli. Esli's father was Nagge.

26Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda,

26Nagge's father was Maath. Maath's father was Mattathias. His father was Semei. Semei's father was Joseph. That Joseph's father was Juda.

27Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri,

27Juda's father was Joanna. Joanna's father was Rhesa. Rhesa's father was Zorobabel. Zorobabel's father was Salathiel. Salathiel's father was Neri.

28Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er,

28Neri's father was Melchi. Melchi's father was Addi. Addi's father was Cosam. Cosam's father was Elmodam. Elmodam's father was Er.

29Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi,

29Er's father was Jose. Jose's father was Eliezer. Eliezer's father was Jorim. Jorim's father was Matthat. Matthat's father was Levi.

30Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim,

30Levi's father was Simeon. Simeon's father was Juda. Juda's father was Joseph. That Joseph's father was Jonan. Jonan's father was Eliakim.

31Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,

31Eliakim's father was Melea. Melea's father was Menan. Menan's father was Mattatha. Mattatha's father was Nathan. Nathan's father was David the king.

32Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson,

32David's father was Jesse. Jesse's father was Obed. Obed's father was Booz. Booz's father was Salmon. Salmon's father was Naasson.

33Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,

33Naasson's father was Aminadab. Aminadab's father was Aram. Aram's father was Esrom. Esrom's father was Phares. Phares's father was Juda.

34Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor,

34Juda's father was Jacob. Jacob's father was Isaac. Isaac's father was Abraham. Abraham's father was Thara. Thara's father was Nachor.

35Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala,

35Nachor's father was Saruch. Saruch's father was Ragau. Ragau's father was Phalec. Phalec's father was Heber. Heber's father was Sala.

36Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech,

36Sala's father was Cainan. Cainan's father was Arphaxad. Arphaxad's father was Sem. Sem's father was Noe. Noe's father was Lamech.

37Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan,

37Lamech's father was Mathusala. Mathusala's father was Enoch. Enoch's father was Jared. Jared's father was Maleleel. Maleleel's father was Cainan.

38Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

38Cainan's father was Enos. Enos's father was Seth. Seth's father was Adam. And Adam came from God.