Who, what, why, when, where, and how — read the book introduction
You do not need to read Greek to begin. Tap an underlined word in either the Greek line or the Romanized Greek line: both open the same entry. Where reliable data is available, you will see the dictionary form, grammar, Strong’s number and a definition. Choose “More meaning and grammar” to explore further, then “Close” to return to the passage. Drag the top bar to move the panel and scroll inside it to see more; the Close button stays visible.
A dashed underline marks unavailable parsing; a double underline marks an unavailable dictionary entry. We do not fill these gaps with guesses. Dictionary definitions offer possible meanings; context determines the meaning in the passage. Our Greek text and its Romanization remain unchanged.
Learn about the sources and coverage →In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, preaching,
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
Ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις παραγίνεται Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτιστής, κηρύσσων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῆς Ἰουδαίας,
En de tais hēmerais ekeinais paraginetai Iōannēs ho baptistēs, kēryssōn en tē erēmō tēs Ioudaias,
“Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
καὶ λέγων, Μετανοεῖτε∙ ἤγγικεν γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.
kai legōn, Metanoeite; ēngiken gar hē basileia tōn ouranōn.
John was the man Isaiah the prophet had spoken about:
“A voice cries out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord;
make the road straight for Him.’”
For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ῥηθεὶς ὑπὸ Ἠσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου, λέγοντος, Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου∙ εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ.
Houtos gar estin ho rhētheis hypo Ēsaiou tou prophētou, legontos, Phōnē boōntos en tē erēmō, Hetoimasate tēn hodon kyriou; eutheias poieite tas tribous autou.
John wore clothing woven from camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He lived on locusts and wild honey.
And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Ἰωάννης εἶχεν τὸ ἔνδυμα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τριχῶν καμήλου, καὶ ζώνην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ∙ ἡ δὲ τροφὴ αὐτοῦ ἦν ἀκρίδες καὶ μέλι ἄγριον.
Autos de ho Iōannēs eichen to endyma autou apo trichōn kamēlou, kai zōnēn dermatinēn peri tēn osphyn autou; hē de trophē autou ēn akrides kai meli agrion.
People came to him from Jerusalem, from all across Judea, and from the whole region surrounding the Jordan.
Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
Τότε ἐξεπορεύετο πρὸς αὐτὸν Ἱεροσόλυμα καὶ πᾶσα ἡ Ἰουδαία καὶ πᾶσα ἡ περίχωρος τοῦ Ἰορδάνου∙
Tote exeporeueto pros auton Hierosolyma kai pasa hē Ioudaia kai pasa hē perichōros tou Iordanou;
They confessed their sins and were baptized by him in the Jordan.
And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ, ἐξομολογούμενοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν.
kai ebaptizonto en tō Iordanē hyp’ autou, exomologoumenoi tas hamartias autōn.
But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he confronted them:
“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to run away from the judgment that is coming?
¶ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Ἰδὼν δὲ πολλοὺς τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων ἐρχομένους ἐπὶ τὸ βάπτισμα αὐτοῦ, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, τίς ὑπέδειξεν ὑμῖν φυγεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς μελλούσης ὀργῆς;
Idōn de pollous tōn Pharisaiōn kai Saddoukaiōn erchomenous epi to baptisma autou, eipen autois, Gennēmata echidnōn, tis hypedeixen hymin phygein apo tēs mellousēs orgēs?
Then live in a way that shows your repentance is real.
Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
Ποιήσατε οὖν καρπὸν ἄξιον τῆς μετανοίας∙
Poiēsate oun karpon axion tēs metanoias;
And do not tell yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father,’ as though that settles the matter. I tell you, God could raise up children for Abraham from these stones.
And think 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.
καὶ μὴ δόξητε λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, Πατέρα ἔχομεν τὸν Ἀβραάμ∙ λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι δύναται ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τῶν λίθων τούτων ἐγεῖραι τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάμ.
kai mē doxēte legein en heautois, Patera echomen ton Abraam; legō gar hymin hoti dynatai ho theos ek tōn lithōn toutōn egeirai tekna tō Abraam.
The axe is already lying at the roots of the trees. Every tree that fails to produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἡ ἀξίνη πρὸς τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν δένδρων κεῖται∙ πᾶν οὖν δένδρον μὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν ἐκκόπτεται καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται.
Ēdē de kai hē axinē pros tēn rhizan tōn dendrōn keitai; pan oun dendron mē poioun karpon kalon ekkoptetai kai eis pyr balletai.
I baptize you in water for repentance. But the One coming after me is far greater than I am. I am not even worthy to carry His sandals. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Ἐγὼ μὲν βαπτίζω ὑμᾶς ἐν ὕδατι εἰς μετάνοιαν∙ ὁ δὲ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἰσχυρότερός μου ἐστίν, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς τὰ ὑποδήματα βαστάσαι∙ αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς βαπτίσει ἐν πνεύματι ἁγίῳ.
Egō men baptizō hymas en hydati eis metanoian; ho de opisō mou erchomenos ischyroteros mou estin, hou ouk eimi hikanos ta hypodēmata bastasai; autos hymas baptisei en pneumati hagiō.
Textual note — Matthew 3:11: The KJV includes “and with fire,” following a different Greek reading in the Textus Receptus tradition. Our chosen Byzantine edition ends this sentence with “in the Holy Spirit”; TWMC and the Greek lines follow that edition.
His winnowing fork is already in His hand. He will completely clear His threshing floor, gather His wheat safely into the storehouse, and burn the chaff with a fire that cannot be put out.”
Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Οὗ τὸ πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ διακαθαριεῖ τὴν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ, καὶ συνάξει τὸν σῖτον αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην, τὸ δὲ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρὶ ἀσβέστῳ.
Hou to ptyon en tē cheiri autou, kai diakathariei tēn halōna autou, kai synaxei ton siton autou eis tēn apothēkēn, to de achyron katakausei pyri asbestō.
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan and approached John to be baptized by him.
¶ Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
Τότε παραγίνεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην, τοῦ βαπτισθῆναι ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ.
Tote paraginetai ho Iēsous apo tēs Galilaias epi ton Iordanēn pros ton Iōannēn, tou baptisthēnai hyp’ autou.
John tried to stop Him.
“I am the one who needs to be baptized by You,” he said. “Why are You coming to me?”
But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
Ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης διεκώλυεν αὐτόν, λέγων, Ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι, καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρός με;
Ho de Iōannēs diekōlyen auton, legōn, Egō chreian echō hypo sou baptisthēnai, kai sy erchē pros me?
Jesus answered, “Allow it for now. This is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
So John agreed.
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν, Ἄφες ἄρτι∙ οὕτως γὰρ πρέπον ἐστὶν ἡμῖν πληρῶσαι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην. Τότε ἀφίησιν αὐτόν.
Apokritheis de ho Iēsous eipen pros auton, Aphes arti; houtōs gar prepon estin hēmin plērōsai pasan dikaiosynēn. Tote aphiēsin auton.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, He came up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him.
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
Καὶ βαπτισθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀνέβη εὐθὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος∙ καὶ ἰδού, ἀνεῴχθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ οὐρανοί, καὶ εἶδεν τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν καὶ ἐρχόμενον ἐπ’ αὐτόν.
Kai baptistheis ho Iēsous anebē euthys apo tou hydatos; kai idou, aneōchthēsan autō hoi ouranoi, kai eiden to pneuma tou theou katabainon hōsei peristeran kai erchomenon ep’ auton.
Then a voice came from heaven:
“This is My beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with Him.”
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Καὶ ἰδού, φωνὴ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν, λέγουσα, Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα.
Kai idou, phōnē ek tōn ouranōn, legousa, Houtos estin ho huios mou ho agapētos, en hō eudokēsa.