Luke 3:7

Repentance Judgment

⁵ Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

⁶ And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

⁸ Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin 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.

⁹ And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Then John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
KJV: Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
WEB: He said therefore to the multitudes who went out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
ASV: He said therefore to the multitudes that went out to be baptized of him, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
DARBY: He said therefore to the crowds which went out to be baptised by him, Offspring of vipers, who has forewarned you to flee from the coming wrath?
BLB: Then he was saying to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “Offspring of vipers, who warned you⁺ to flee from the coming wrath?

ÅB: Han sa da til folket som dro ut for å døpes av ham: Ormeyngel! hvem lærte dere å flykte for den kommende vrede?
OTB: Johannes sa til folkemengdene som kom ut for å bli døpt av ham: “Ormeyngel! Hvem har lært dere å flykte fra den kommende vrede?
B1930: Han sa da til folket som drog ut for å døpes av ham: Ormeyngel! hvem lærte eder å fly for den kommende vrede?

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Matthew 23:33
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Read in context
Matthew 12:34
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Read in context
1 Thessalonians 1:10
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Read in context
Hebrews 6:18
That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Read in context
1 John 3:8
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Read in context
Psalms 58:4–5
Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
Read in context
Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Read in context
Isaiah 59:5
They hatch cockatrice’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.
Read in context