Luke 3 :: New King James Version (NKJV)

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

(Matt. 3:1–6; Mark 1:2–6; John 1:19–23 )

Luk 3:1Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

Luk 3:2

Luk 3:2while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests,[fn] the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

Luk 3:3

Luk 3:3And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,

Luk 3:4

Luk 3:4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make His paths straight.

Luk 3:5

Luk 3:5Every valley shall be filled
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth;

Luk 3:6

Luk 3:6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”[fn]

John Preaches to the People

(Matt. 3:7–12; Mark 1:7, 8; John 1:24–28 )

Luk 3:7

Luk 3:7Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Luk 3:8

Luk 3:8“Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

Luk 3:9

Luk 3:9“And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Luk 3:10

Luk 3:10So the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”

Luk 3:11

Luk 3:11He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”

Luk 3:12

Luk 3:12Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”

Luk 3:13

Luk 3:13And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”

Luk 3:14

Luk 3:14Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”

Luk 3:15

Luk 3:15Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not,

Luk 3:16

Luk 3:16John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Luk 3:17

Luk 3:17“His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Luk 3:18

Luk 3:18And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.

Luk 3:19

Luk 3:19But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,[fn] and for all the evils which Herod had done,

Luk 3:20

Luk 3:20also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.

John Baptizes Jesus

(Matt. 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; John 1:29–34 )

Luk 3:21

Luk 3:21When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.

Luk 3:22

Luk 3:22And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

(Gen. 5:1–32; 11:10–26; Ruth 4:18–22; 1 Chr. 1:1–4, 24–27, 34; 2:1–15; Matt. 1:2–16 )

Luk 3:23

Luk 3:23Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,

Luk 3:24

Luk 3:24the son of Matthat,[fn] the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph,

Luk 3:25

Luk 3:25the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai,

Luk 3:26

Luk 3:26the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah,

Luk 3:27

Luk 3:27the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri,

Luk 3:28

Luk 3:28the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er,

Luk 3:29

Luk 3:29the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

Luk 3:30

Luk 3:30the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim,

Luk 3:31

Luk 3:31the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

Luk 3:32

Luk 3:32the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,

Luk 3:33

Luk 3:33the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

Luk 3:34

Luk 3:34the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,

Luk 3:35

Luk 3:35the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah,

Luk 3:36

Luk 3:36the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,

Luk 3:37

Luk 3:37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan,

Luk 3:38

Luk 3:38the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

See the NKJV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NKJV Footnotes

(3:2)

NU-Text and M-Text read in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas.

(3:6)

Isaiah 40:3–5

(3:19)

NU-Text reads his brother’s wife.

(3:24)

This and several other names in the genealogy are spelled somewhat differently in the NU-Text. Since the New King James Version uses the Old Testament spelling for persons mentioned in the New Testament, these variations, which come from the Greek, have not been footnoted.

The text of the New King James Version (NKJV) appearing on or deriving from this or any other web page is for personal use only. Any other use of the NKJV must be in conformity with the Quotation Policy for the New King James Version. For more information about the New King James Version, the Quotation Policy, and for inquiries about permission to use the New King James Version, go to Thomas Nelson, Inc..

For more information on this translation, see the NKJV Preface.

Luke Chapter 3 — Additional Translations:

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Luke 3 :: New King James Version (NKJV)

NKJV Footnotes

Luke Chapter 3 — Additional Translations:

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