3:1 In those days John the Baptist came into the wilderness 1 of Judea proclaiming,
3:1 In those days John the Baptist came into the wilderness 2 of Judea proclaiming, 3:2 “Repent, 3 for the kingdom of heaven is near.” 3:3 For he is the one about whom Isaiah the prophet had spoken: 4
“The voice 5 of one shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make 6 his paths straight.’” 7
3:4 Now John wore clothing made from camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey. 8 3:5 Then people from Jerusalem, 9 as well as all Judea and all the region around the Jordan, were going out to him, 3:6 and he was baptizing them 10 in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.
3:7 But when he saw many Pharisees 11 and Sadducees 12 coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 3:8 Therefore produce fruit 13 that proves your 14 repentance, 3:9 and don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! 3:10 Even now the ax is laid at 15 the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
3:11 “I baptize you with water, for repentance, but the one coming after me is more powerful than I am – I am not worthy 16 to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 3:12 His winnowing fork 18 is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, 19 but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire.” 20
3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John to be baptized by him in the Jordan River. 21 3:14 But John 22 tried to prevent 23 him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?” 3:15 So Jesus replied 24 to him, “Let it happen now, 25 for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John 26 yielded 27 to him. 3:16 After 28 Jesus was baptized, just as he was coming up out of the water, the 29 heavens 30 opened 31 and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove 32 and coming on him. 3:17 And 33 a voice from heaven said, 34 “This is my one dear Son; 35 in him 36 I take great delight.” 37
6:1 “Be 38 careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. 39 Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 6:2 Thus whenever you do charitable giving, 40 do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues 41 and on streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth, 42 they have their reward. 6:3 But when you do your giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 6:4 so that your gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 43
6:5 “Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues 44 and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. 6:6 But whenever you pray, go into your room, 45 close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 46 6:7 When 47 you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard. 6:8 Do 48 not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 6:9 So pray this way: 49
Our Father 50 in heaven, may your name be honored, 51
6:10 may your kingdom come, 52
may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
6:11 Give us today our daily bread, 53
6:12 and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves 54 have forgiven our debtors.
6:13 And do not lead us into temptation, 55 but deliver us from the evil one. 56
6:14 “For if you forgive others 57 their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 6:15 But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.
6:16 “When 58 you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive 59 so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, 60 they have their reward. 6:17 When 61 you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 6:18 so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
6:19 “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth 62 and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 6:20 But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 6:21 For where your 63 treasure 64 is, there your heart will be also.
6:22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, 65 your whole body will be full of light. 6:23 But if your eye is diseased, 66 your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate 67 the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise 68 the other. You cannot serve God and money. 69
6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry 70 about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing? 6:26 Look at the birds in the sky: 71 They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds 72 them. Aren’t you more valuable 73 than they are? 6:27 And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life? 74 6:28 Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers 75 of the field grow; they do not work 76 or spin. 6:29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! 6:30 And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, 77 which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, 78 won’t he clothe you even more, 79 you people of little faith? 6:31 So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 6:32 For the unconverted 80 pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 6:33 But above all pursue his kingdom 81 and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 6:34 So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own. 82
1 tn Or “desert.”
2 tn Or “desert.”
3 tn Grk “and saying, ‘Repent.’” The participle λέγων (legwn) at the beginning of v. 2 is redundant in English and has not been translated.
4 tn Grk “was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying.” The participle λέγοντος (legonto") is redundant and has not been translated. The passive construction has also been rendered as active in the translation for the sake of English style.
5 tn Or “A voice.”
6 sn This call to “make paths straight” in this context is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance.
7 sn A quotation from Isa 40:3.
5 sn John’s lifestyle was in stark contrast to many of the religious leaders of Jerusalem who lived in relative ease and luxury. While his clothing and diet were indicative of someone who lived in the desert, they also depicted him in his role as God’s prophet (cf. Zech 13:4); his appearance is similar to the Prophet Elijah (2 Kgs 1:8). Locusts and wild honey were a common diet in desert regions, and locusts (dried insects) are listed in Lev 11:22 among the “clean” foods.
6 tn Grk “Then Jerusalem.”
7 tn Grk “they were being baptized by him.” The passive construction has been rendered as active in the translation for the sake of English style.
8 sn Pharisees were members of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.
9 sn The Sadducees controlled the official political structures of Judaism at this time, being the majority members of the Sanhedrin. They were known as extremely strict on law and order issues (Josephus, J. W. 2.8.2 [2.119], 2.8.14 [2.164-166]; Ant. 13.5.9 [13.171-173], 13.10.6 [13.293-298], 18.1.2 [18.11], 18.1.4 [18.16-17], 20.9.1 [20.199]; Life 2 [10-11]). See also Matt 16:1-12; 22:23-34; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-38; Acts 5:17; 23:6-8.
9 sn Fruit worthy of repentance refers to the deeds that indicate a change of attitude (heart) on the part of John’s hearers.
10 tn Grk “fruit worthy of.”
10 sn Laid at the root. That is, placed and aimed, ready to begin cutting.
11 tn Grk “of whom I am not worthy.”
12 sn With the Holy Spirit and fire. There are differing interpretations for this phrase regarding the number of baptisms and their nature. (1) Some see one baptism here, and this can be divided further into two options. (a) The baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire could refer to the cleansing, purifying work of the Spirit in the individual believer through salvation and sanctification, or (b) it could refer to two different results of Christ’s ministry: Some accept Christ and are baptized with the Holy Spirit, but some reject him and receive judgment. (2) Other interpreters see two baptisms here: The baptism of the Holy Spirit refers to the salvation Jesus brings at his first advent, in which believers receive the Holy Spirit, and the baptism of fire refers to the judgment Jesus will bring upon the world at his second coming. One must take into account both the image of fire and whether individual or corporate baptism is in view. A decision is not easy on either issue. The image of fire is used to refer to both eternal judgment (e.g., Matt 25:41) and the power of the Lord’s presence to purge and cleanse his people (e.g., Isa 4:4-5). The pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost, a fulfillment of this prophecy no matter which interpretation is taken, had both individual and corporate dimensions. It is possible that since Holy Spirit and fire are governed by a single preposition in Greek, the one-baptism view may be more likely, but this is not certain. Simply put, there is no consensus view in scholarship at this time on the best interpretation of this passage.
12 sn A winnowing fork was a pitchfork-like tool used to toss threshed grain in the air so that the wind blew away the chaff, leaving the grain to fall to the ground. The note of purging is highlighted by the use of imagery involving sifting though threshed grain for the useful kernels.
13 tn Or “granary,” “barn” (referring to a building used to store a farm’s produce rather than a building to house livestock).
14 sn The image of fire that cannot be extinguished is from the OT: Job 20:26; Isa 34:8-10; 66:24.
13 tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
14 tc ‡ The earliest
15 tn The imperfect verb has been translated conatively.
15 tn Grk “but Jesus, answering, said.” This construction with passive participle and finite verb is pleonastic (redundant) and has been simplified in the translation to “replied to him.”
16 tn Grk “Permit now.”
17 tn Grk “he”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
18 tn Or “permitted him.”
16 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
17 tn Grk “behold the heavens.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
18 tn Or “sky.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ourano") may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The same word is used in v. 17.
19 tc ‡ αὐτῷ (autw, “to/before him”) is found in the majority of witnesses (א1 C Ds L W 0233 Ë1,13 33 Ï lat), perhaps added as a point of clarification or emphasis. NA27 includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
20 sn The phrase like a dove is a descriptive comparison. The Spirit is not a dove, but descended like one in some sort of bodily representation.
17 tn Grk “and behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated here.
18 tn Grk “behold, a voice from the cloud, saying.” This is an incomplete sentence in Greek which portrays intensity and emotion. The participle λέγουσα (legousa) was translated as a finite verb in keeping with English style.
19 tn Grk “my beloved Son,” or “my Son, the beloved [one].” The force of ἀγαπητός (agaphtos) is often “pertaining to one who is the only one of his or her class, but at the same time is particularly loved and cherished” (L&N 58.53; cf. also BDAG 7 s.v. 1).
20 tn Grk “in whom.”
21 tn Or “with whom I am well pleased.”
18 tc ‡ Several
19 tn Grk “before people in order to be seen by them.”
19 tn Grk “give alms,” but this term is not in common use today. The giving of alms was highly regarded in the ancient world (Deut 15:7-11).
20 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
21 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
20 tc L W Θ 0250 Ï it read ἐν τῷ φανερῷ (en tw fanerw, “openly”) at the end of this verse, giving a counterweight to what is done in secret. But this reading is suspect because of the obvious literary balance, because of detouring the point of the passage (the focus of vv. 1-4 is not on two kinds of public rewards but on human vs. divine approbation), and because of superior external testimony that lacks this reading (א B D Z Ë1,13 33 al).
21 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
22 sn The term translated room refers to the inner room of a house, normally without any windows opening outside, the most private location possible (BDAG 988 s.v. ταμεῖον 2).
23 tc See the tc note on “will reward you” in 6:4: The problem is the same and the ms support differs only slightly.
23 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
24 tn Grk “So do not.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
25 sn Pray this way. What follows, although traditionally known as the Lord’s prayer, is really the disciples’ prayer. It represents how they are to approach God, by acknowledging his uniqueness and their need for his provision and protection.
26 sn God is addressed in terms of intimacy (Father). The original Semitic term here was probably Abba. The term is a little unusual in a personal prayer, especially as it lacks qualification. It is not the exact equivalent of “daddy” (as is sometimes popularly suggested), but it does suggest a close, familial relationship.
27 tn Grk “hallowed be your name.”
26 sn Your kingdom come represents the hope for the full manifestation of God’s promised rule.
27 tn Or “Give us bread today for the coming day,” or “Give us today the bread we need for today.” The term ἐπιούσιος (epiousio") does not occur outside of early Christian literature (other occurrences are in Luke 11:3 and Didache 8:2), so its meaning is difficult to determine. Various suggestions include “daily,” “the coming day,” and “for existence.” See BDAG 376-77 s.v.; L&N 67:183, 206.
28 tn Or “as even we.” The phrase ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς (Jw" kai Jhmei") makes ἡμεῖς emphatic. The translation above adds an appropriate emphasis to the passage.
29 tn Or “into a time of testing.”
30 tc Most
30 tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense: “people, others.”
31 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
32 tn Here the term “disfigure” used in a number of translations was not used because it could convey to the modern reader the notion of mutilation. L&N 79.17 states, “‘to make unsightly, to disfigure, to make ugly.’ ἀφανίζουσιν γὰρ τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ‘for they make their faces unsightly’ Mt 6:16.”
33 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
32 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
33 tn The term σής (shs) refers to moths in general. It is specifically the larvae of moths that destroy clothing by eating holes in it (L&N 4.49; BDAG 922 s.v.). See Jas 5:2, which mentions “moth-eaten” clothing.
34 tn The pronouns in this verse are singular while the pronouns in vv. 19-20 are plural. The change to singular emphasizes personal responsibility as opposed to corporate responsibility; even if others do not listen, the one who hears Jesus’ commands should obey.
35 sn Seeking heavenly treasure means serving others and honoring God by doing so.
35 tn Or “sound” (so L&N 23.132 and most scholars). A few scholars take this word to mean something like “generous” here (L&N 57.107). partly due to the immediate context concerning money, in which case the “eye” is a metonymy for the entire person (“if you are generous”).
36 tn Or “if your eye is sick” (L&N 23.149).
37 sn The contrast between hate and love here is rhetorical. The point is that one will choose the favorite if a choice has to be made.
38 tn Or “and treat [the other] with contempt.”
39 tn Grk “God and mammon.”
38 tn Or “do not be anxious,” and so throughout the rest of this paragraph.
39 tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).
40 tn Or “God gives them food to eat.” L&N 23.6 has both “to provide food for” and “to give food to someone to eat.”
41 tn Grk “of more value.”
40 tn Or “a cubit to his height.” A cubit (πῆχυς, phcu") can measure length (normally about 45 cm or 18 inches) or time (a small unit, “hour” is usually used [BDAG 812 s.v.] although “day” has been suggested [L&N 67.151]). The term ἡλικία (Jhlikia) is ambiguous in the same way as πῆχυς (phcus). Most scholars take the term to describe age or length of life here, although a few refer it to bodily stature (see BDAG 436 s.v. 3 for discussion). Worry about length of life seems a more natural figure than worry about height. However, the point either way is clear: Worrying adds nothing to life span or height.
41 tn Traditionally, “lilies.” According to L&N 3.32, “Though traditionally κρίνον has been regarded as a type of lily, scholars have suggested several other possible types of flowers, including an anemone, a poppy, a gladiolus, and a rather inconspicuous type of daisy.” In view of the uncertainty, the more generic “flowers” has been used in the translation.
42 tn Or, traditionally, “toil.” Although it might be argued that “work hard” would be a more precise translation of κοπιάω (kopiaw) here, the line in English reads better in terms of cadence with a single syllable.
42 tn Grk “grass of the field.”
43 tn Grk “into the oven.” The expanded translation “into the fire to heat the oven” has been used to avoid misunderstanding; most items put into modern ovens are put there to be baked, not burned.
44 sn The phrase even more is a typical form of rabbinic argumentation, from the lesser to the greater. If God cares for the little things, surely he will care for the more important things.
43 tn Or “unbelievers”; Grk “Gentiles.”
44 tc ‡ Most
45 tn Grk “Sufficient for the day is its evil.”