¹⁵ The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their earts if John might possibly be the Messiah. ¹⁶ John answered them all:

"I baptize you with[b] water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with[c]the Holy Spirit and fire.

¹⁷ His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." ¹⁸ And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

¹⁹ But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done, ²⁰ Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

²¹ When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened ²² and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."