3So John went all over the area close to the Jordan River. He kept telling people, “If you want God to forgive you for your sins, you must ◄repent/turn away from your sinful behavior► before you ask me to baptize you!”
4John was the one who fulfilled these words that had been written by the prophet Isaiah {that the prophet Isaiah had written} on a scroll long ago: In a desolate area, someone SYN will be heard shouting to the people who pass by, “Prepare yourselves to receive the Lord when he comes! Make yourselves ready so that you will be prepared when he comes, just like people straighten out the road MET for an important official MET, DOU!
5Just like people level off all the places where the land rises and just like they fill all the ravines, and just like people make the road straight wherever it is crooked, and just like people make smooth the bumps in the road, similarly you need to remove all the obstacles which prevent God from blessing you!
6Then people SYN everywhere will understand how God can save MTY people.”
7Although large groups of people came to John to be baptized {in order that he would baptize them}, he knew that many of them were not sincere. So he kept saying to them, “You people are evil MET like poisonous snakes! I warn you that God will some day punish MTY everyone who sins. And ◄do not think that you can escape from his punishing MTY you if you do not turn from your sinful behavior!/did someone tell you that you can escape from his punishing MTY you if you do not turn from your sinful behavior?► RHQ (OR, Who told you that you could escape God's punishment?)
8Do what is appropriate for people who have truly turned from their sinful behavior! God promised to give Abraham many descendants. In order to fulfill that promise, God does not need you! I tell you that he can change these stones to make them descendants of Abraham! So do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We (exc) are descendants of Abraham, so God will not punish us, even though we have sinned!’
9God is ready to punish you if you do not turn away from your sinful behavior, just like a man MET lays his axe at the roots of a fruit tree to chop it down and throw it into the fire if it does not produce good fruit MET.”
10Then various ones in the crowd asked John, “What shall we (exc) do to escape God punishing us (OR), to show that we have repented?”
Luke 3
Luke 3:3-10