4 John wore clothes made of camel's hair. He had a leather strap around his waist and ate grasshoppers and wild honey.
5 From Jerusalem and all Judea and from the Jordan River Valley crowds of people went to John.
6 They told how sorry they were for their sins, and he baptized them in the river.
7 Many Pharisees and Sadducees also came to be baptized. But John said to them:You bunch of snakes! Who warned you to run from the coming judgment?
8 Do something to show you have really given up your sins.
9 And don't start telling yourselves that you belong to Abraham's family. I tell you that God can turn these stones into children for Abraham.
10 An ax is ready to cut the trees down at their roots. Any tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into a fire.