⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers!^(A) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?^{(B) 8} Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.^{(C) 9} And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^(D) I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.^(E)

¹¹ “I baptize you with^[a] water for repentance.^(F) But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with^[b] the Holy Spirit^(G) and fire.^{(H) 12} His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”^(I)

The Ministry of Reconciliation

¹¹ Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord,^(A) we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.^(B)

⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.^(A)

⁹ Since we have now been justified^(B) by his blood,^(C) how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath^(D) through him! ¹⁰ For if, while we were God’s enemies,^(E) we were reconciled^(F) to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!^{(G) 11} Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.^(H)