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Matthew 3
New Catholic Bible

Jesus Inaugurates His Ministry as Savior

Chapter 3

John the Baptist Preaches and Baptizes.[a]1 In those days, John the Baptist[b] appeared in the desert of Judea, preaching: 2 “Repent,[c] for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” This was the man of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said:

3 “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’ ”[d]

4 John’s clothing was made of camel’s hair, with a leather loincloth around his waist, and his food consisted of locusts and wild honey.[e] 5 The people of Jerusalem and the whole of Judea and the entire region along the Jordan went out to him, 6 and as they confessed their sins they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

7 [f]But when he observed many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Produce good fruit as proof of your repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves: ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 10 Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 [g]“I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I am. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”[h]

13 Jesus Is Baptized.[i] Then Jesus arrived from Galilee and came to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 John tried to dissuade him, saying, “Why do you come to me? I am the one who needs to be baptized by you.” 15 But Jesus said to him in reply, “For the present, let it be thus. It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all that righteousness demands.”[j] Then he acquiesced.

16 After Jesus had been baptized, as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened and he beheld the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”[k]

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 3:1 This account is concerned with the person and prophetic message of John (vv. 1-6), his baptism (v. 6), his criticism of the Pharisees and Sadducees (vv. 7-10), his teaching about Jesus (vv. 11-12), and his baptism of Jesus (vv. 15-17).
  2. Matthew 3:1 John the Baptist: the cousin and precursor of Jesus (see Lk 1:5-80). Desert of Judea: a twenty-mile barren region from the Jerusalem-Bethlehem plateau to the Jordan River and the Dead Sea.
  3. Matthew 3:2 Repent: a change of heart and conduct—a return to keeping the Mosaic Law. Kingdom of heaven: a phrase found only in Matthew (33 times); in Mark and Luke it is “kingdom of God.” The kingdom of heaven is the rule of God, both as present reality and as future hope. The kingdom is a central part of Jesus’ message.
  4. Matthew 3:3 All four Gospels quote Isa 40:3 and apply it to John the Baptist. Make his paths straight: a phrase that is equivalent to “Prepare the way for the Lord” in Lk 3:4. In ancient times, when the king was to travel to a distant land, the roads were improved. Similarly, the spiritual preparation for the coming of the Messiah was made by John in calling for repentance and the remission of sins and announcing the need for a Savior.
  5. Matthew 3:4 John’s simple food, clothing, and lifestyle were reminiscent of Elijah (see 2 Ki 17), and Jesus later declares that John was the Elijah who had already come (see Mt 17:10ff; see also Mal 3:23).
  6. Matthew 3:7 John heavily criticizes members of two religious sects of the Jews who come to receive his baptism. The Pharisees were a legalistic and separatist group who strictly kept the Law of Moses as well as the unwritten “tradition of the elders” (Mt 15:2). The Sadducees were more worldly and politically minded, closely connected with the high priests, and they accepted only the first five Books of the Old Testament as their Scriptures. They also rejected belief in the resurrection after death.
  7. Matthew 3:11 I am not worthy to carry his sandals: bearing sandals was one of the duties of a slave. The baptism of John prepares for the purifying action with the Holy Spirit and fire that Jesus will effect (see Isa 1:25; Zec 13:9; Mal 3:2) and that was seen very dramatically at Pentecost (Acts 1:5, 8; 2:1-16). Refusal of this Baptism instituted by Christ leads to final condemnation in imperishable fire (see Isa 34:8ff; Jer 7:20).
  8. Matthew 3:12 The separation of the good and the bad that will take place at Christ’s Second Coming is compared to the way farmers separated wheat from chaff. After trampling out the grain, they used a large fork to pitch the grain and the chaff into the air. The kernels of wheat fell to the ground while the light chaff was borne away by the wind, then gathered up and burned.
  9. Matthew 3:13 The theophanies of the Old Testament were meant to convey something of the ineffable transcendence of God (Ex 3); the theophany that here begins the New Testament reveals something of the inner life of God: God is three persons. The dove perhaps suggests the Creator Spirit (Gen 1:2), but may also symbolize the divine goodwill that was restored after the flood (Gen 8:8-12), or the very People of God (Hos 7:11; 11:11; Isa 60:8), the formation of which is the work of the Spirit.
  10. Matthew 3:15 All that righteousness demands: i.e., all observances, everything that is part of God’s plan. Jesus obeys the Father’s will in everything (Phil 2:8).
  11. Matthew 3:17 This heavenly pronouncement intermingles language from Ps 2:7 and Isa 42:1, prophetic terminology that was well known to those with Messianic expectations (see Mt 17:5; Mk 1:11; 9:7; Lk 3:22; 9:35).
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Mateo 3
Ang Bagong Tipan: Filipino Standard Version

Ang Pangangaral ni Juan na Tagapagbautismo(A)

3 Nang mga araw na iyon ay dumating sa ilang ng Judea si Juan na Tagapagbautismo na nangangaral. 2 “Magsisi kayo, sapagkat malapit na ang paghahari ng langit.”

3 Si Juan ang tinutukoy ni Propeta Isaias nang sabihin nito,

“Isang tinig ang sumisigaw sa ilang:
‘Ihanda ninyo ang daan ng Panginoon,
    tuwirin ninyo ang mga landas na kanyang lalakaran.’ ”

4 Nakasuot si Juan ng damit na yari sa balahibo ng kamelyo at may sinturong balat sa kanyang baywang. Ang kinakain niya ay mga balang at pulot-pukyutan. 5 Pumunta sa kanya ang mga taga-Jerusalem, ang mga mamamayan sa buong Judea, at ang mga nasa buong paligid ng Jordan. 6 Sila'y kanyang binabautismuhan sa Ilog Jordan, matapos silang magpahayag ng kanilang mga kasalanan. 7 Subalit nang makita niyang marami sa mga Fariseo at mga Saduceo ang dumarating sa kanya upang magpabautismo, sinabi niya sa kanila, “Kayong lahi ng mga ulupong! Sino'ng nagbabala sa inyo upang takasan ang darating na poot? 8 Mamunga kayo ng patunay ng pagsisisi. 9 At huwag na kayong mag-akala at sabihin sa inyong mga sarili, ‘Si Abraham ang aming ama.’ Sinasabi ko sa inyo, May kakayahan ang Diyos na gumawa ng mga anak ni Abraham kahit sa mga batong ito. 10 Kahit ngayo'y nakaamba na ang palakol sa ugat ng mga puno. Kaya't ang bawat punong hindi mabuti ang bunga ay pinuputol at itinatapon sa apoy. 11 Kayo'y binabautismuhan ko sa tubig tungo sa pagsisisi, ngunit ang dumarating sa hulihan ko ay higit na makapangyarihan kaysa akin, ni hindi nga ako karapat-dapat magdala ng kanyang mga sandalyas. Babautismuhan niya kayo sa Banal na Espiritu at sa apoy. 12 Hawak-hawak niya ang kanyang kalaykay upang linisin ang giikan at tipunin ang kanyang mga trigo sa kamalig, ngunit ang ipa ay kanyang susunugin sa di-maaápulang apoy.”

Binautismuhan si Jesus(B)

13 Pagkatapos nito, mula sa Galilea ay pumunta si Jesus kay Juan sa Jordan upang magpabautismo sa kanya. 14 Pinigilan siya ni Juan. “Ako nga itong dapat magpabautismo sa iyo,” sabi niya, “ngunit ikaw pa ang lumalapit sa akin?” 15 Ngunit sumagot sa kanya si Jesus, “Pumayag ka nang mangyari ito ngayon, sapagkat dapat nating gampanan ang buong katuwiran.” Sumang-ayon si Juan. 16 At nang mabautismuhan si Jesus, kaagad siyang umahon sa tubig. Noon din ay nabuksan sa kanya ang kalangitan, at nakita niya ang Espiritu ng Diyos na bumababang tulad ng kalapati, at dumadapo sa kanya. 17 At isang tinig mula sa langit ang nagsabi, “Ito ang minamahal kong Anak, na lubos kong kinalulugdan.”

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Matteus 3
nuBibeln (Swedish Contemporary Bible)

Johannes döparen banar väg för Jesus

(Mark 1:2-8; Luk 3:1-18; Joh 1:19-28)

3 Vid den tiden började Johannes döparen förkunna ute i den judiska ödemarken. 2 Han sa: ”Vänd om! Himmelriket är nära.” 3 Det var honom det talades om genom profeten Jesaja, när han sa:

”En röst ropar i ödemarken:
    ’Bana väg för Herren!
Jämna vägen för honom![a]’ ”

4 Johannes hade kläder som var gjorda av kamelhår, och han hade ett läderbälte runt midjan. Den mat han åt var gräshoppor och vildhonung. 5 Folk från Jerusalem, från alla delar av Judeen och från hela Jordandalen kom ut till honom, 6 och när de hade bekänt sina synder döpte han dem i Jordanfloden.

7 Men när Johannes såg att många fariseer och saddukeer[b] kom för att bli döpta, sa han till dem: ”Ni huggormsyngel, tror ni att ni kan klara er undan den kommande vreden? 8 Nej, handla[c] som det anstår en som är omvänd! 9 Inbilla er inte att ni bara kan säga: ’Abraham är vår stamfar.’ Jag säger er att Gud kan förvandla de här stenarna till Abrahams ättlingar! 10 Yxan är redan satt till roten på träden. Varje träd som inte bär god frukt ska huggas ner och kastas i elden.

11 Jag döper er med vatten till omvändelse. Men efter mig kommer en som är starkare än jag. Jag är inte ens värdig att ta av honom hans sandaler.[d] Han ska döpa er i den heliga Anden och eld. 12 Han har kastskoveln i sin hand, färdig att rensa upp sin tröskplats och samla vetet i ladan, men agnarna ska han bränna upp i en eld som aldrig slocknar.”

Jesus blir döpt

13 Jesus lämnade nu Galileen och kom till Jordanfloden för att bli döpt av Johannes, 14 men Johannes ville inte döpa honom. Han sa: ”Det kan inte vara rätt. Jag behöver bli döpt av dig.” 15 Men Jesus svarade: ”Gör det ändå, för vi behöver uppfylla all rättfärdighet.” Då döpte Johannes honom.

16 När Jesus hade blivit döpt, steg han genast upp ur vattnet. Då öppnade sig himlen och han[e] såg Guds Ande komma ner som en duva och stanna över honom. 17 Och en röst från himlen sa: ”Detta är min älskade Son, han är min glädje.”

Footnotes

  1. 3:3 Se Jes 40:3. Den hebreiska texten använder här det heliga gudsnamnet (JHWH), som Nya testamentet här, liksom i flera andra sammanhang, tillämpar på Jesus.
  2. 3:7 Fariseer och saddukeer var två religiösa partier bland judarna. Fariseerna var mycket noga med att följa hela Moses lag och hade dessutom lagt till egna regler och föreskrifter. Saddukeerna var mest intresserade av politik och var lojala mot romarna. De trodde varken på uppståndelsen, änglar eller andar.
  3. 3:8 Ordagrant: Bär då sådan frukt.
  4. 3:11 Detta var en slavs uppgift.
  5. 3:16 Det är oklart vem han syftar på, men enligt Joh 1:33-34 såg Johannes döparen hur Guds Ande sänkte sig över Jesus.
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Matthew 3
New International Version

John the Baptist Prepares the Way(A)

3 In those days John the Baptist(B) came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven(C) has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”[a](D)

4 John’s(E) clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist.(F) His food was locusts(G) and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized(H) by him in the Jordan River.

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!(I) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?(J) 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.(K) 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’(L) 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.(M)

11 “I baptize you with[b] water for repentance.(N) But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with[c] the Holy Spirit(O) and fire.(P) 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.”(Q)

The Baptism of Jesus(R)

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.(S) 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened,(T) and he saw the Spirit of God(U) descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven(V) said, “This is my Son,(W) whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”(X)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 3:3 Isaiah 40:3
  2. Matthew 3:11 Or in
  3. Matthew 3:11 Or in
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