馬太福音 3
Chinese Standard Bible (Traditional)
基督的先驅
3 在那些日子裡，施洗者[a]約翰來了，在猶太的曠野傳道， 2 說：「你們應當悔改，因為天國近了。」 3 這約翰就是藉著先知以賽亞所說的那個人。以賽亞說：
4 約翰穿著駱駝毛做的衣服，腰束皮帶。他的食物是蝗蟲和野蜜。 5 那時，耶路撒冷、全猶太地區和整個約旦河一帶的人，都出來到他那裡， 6 承認自己的罪孽，在約旦河裡受他的洗禮。
7 約翰看見許多法利賽人和撒都該人也來要受他的洗禮，就對他們說：「你們這些毒蛇的子孫！誰指示你們逃避那將要來臨的震怒呢？ 8 你們應當結出果子，與悔改的心相稱！ 9 你們不要心裡想『我們有亞伯拉罕為先祖。』我告訴你們：神能從這些石頭中給亞伯拉罕興起兒女來。 10 現在斧子已經放在樹根上，所有不結好果子的樹都要被砍下來，被丟進火裡。
11 「我用水[d]給你們施洗，是為了你們的[e]悔改。但在我之後來的那一位，是比我更強有力的，我就是為他提鞋子也不配。他要用聖靈和火給你們施洗。 12 他手裡拿著揚穀的杴，要揚淨他的打穀場，把他的麥子收進倉庫，卻把糠秕用不滅的火燒掉。」
耶穌受洗
13 那時，耶穌從加利利來到約旦河，到了約翰那裡，要受他的洗禮。 14 約翰想要阻止他，說：「我需要受你的洗禮，你反而到我這裡來嗎？」
15 耶穌回答他，說：「現在你就答應吧，因為我們如此成全一切的義，是合宜的。」於是約翰答應了他。
16 耶穌受了洗，一從水裡上來，看哪，諸天就為他[f]開了，他看見神的靈好像鴿子降下，臨到他身上。 17 這時候，忽然有聲音從諸天傳來，說：
「這是我的愛子，
我所喜悅的。」
Matthew 3
King James Version
3 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4 And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9 And think 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.
10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
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
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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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