King James Bible
"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?"
John the Baptist addresses the crowds seeking baptism, a ritual of repentance and purification. The multitude's arrival suggests widespread spiritual hunger, yet John's harsh greeting reveals he questions their motives for coming. John uses shocking imagery, comparing his audience to poisonous snakes—creatures associated with deception and danger since Eden. This rebuke challenges any superficial religiosity, demanding genuine transformation rather than empty ritual. John's rhetorical question implies surprise at their presence, suggesting they seek baptism merely to escape judgment rather than from true repentance. The 'wrath to come' refers to God's imminent judgment, a central theme in John's apocalyptic preaching.