馬太福音 3

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)

開路先鋒

3 那時，施洗者約翰來到猶太的曠野傳道，說： ²「悔改吧，因為天國臨近了！」 ³約翰就是以賽亞先知所說的那位，他說：「有人在曠野大聲呼喊，『預備主的道，修直祂的路。』」

⁴約翰身穿駱駝毛的衣服，腰束皮帶，吃的是蝗蟲、野蜜。 ⁵那時，耶路撒冷、猶太各地和約旦河一帶的人都來到約翰那裡， ⁶承認他們的罪，在約旦河裡接受他的洗禮。

⁷約翰看見很多法利賽人和撒都該人也來受洗，就對他們說：「你們這些毒蛇的後代！誰指示你們逃避那將臨的烈怒呢？ ⁸你們要結出與悔改相稱的果子。 ⁹不要心裡說，『我們是亞伯拉罕的子孫。』我告訴你們，上帝可以從這些石頭中興起亞伯拉罕的子孫。 ¹⁰現在斧頭已經放在樹根上了，不結好果子的樹都要被砍下，丟在火裡。 ¹¹我用水為你們施洗，叫你們悔改。但在我之後，有位比我更有能力的要來，我連替祂提鞋都不配。祂要用聖靈和火為你們施洗。 ¹²祂手拿簸箕，要把穀場清理乾淨，將麥子存入倉裡，用不滅的火把糠秕燒盡。」

耶穌受洗

¹³後來，耶穌從加利利來到約旦河要約翰為祂施洗。 ¹⁴約翰想要攔住祂，就說：「應該是你為我施洗才對，你反倒來找我？」

¹⁵耶穌回答說：「你就這樣做吧！我們理當這樣遵行上帝一切的要求。」於是約翰答應了。

¹⁶耶穌受了洗，剛從水裡上來，天就開了。祂看見上帝的聖靈像鴿子一樣降到祂身上， ¹⁷又有聲音從天上傳來：「這是我的愛子，我甚喜悅祂。」

Matthew 3

Contemporary English Version

The Preaching of John the Baptist

(Mark 1.1-8; Luke 3.1-18; John 1.19-28)

3 Years later, John the Baptist started preaching in the desert of Judea. ²^(A) He said, “Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven^[a] will soon be here.”^[b]

³^(B) John was the one the prophet Isaiah was talking about, when he said,

“In the desert someone
    is shouting,
‘Get the road ready
    for the Lord!
Make a straight path
    for him.’ ”

⁴^(C) John wore clothes made of camel's hair. He had a leather strap around his waist and ate grasshoppers and wild honey.

⁵From Jerusalem and all Judea and from the Jordan River Valley crowds of people went to John. ⁶They told how sorry they were for their sins, and he baptized them in the river.

⁷^(D) Many Pharisees and Sadducees also came to be baptized. But John said to them:

You bunch of snakes! Who warned you to run from the coming judgment? ⁸Do something to show you have really given up your sins. ⁹^(E) And don't start telling yourselves that you belong to Abraham's family. I tell you that God can turn these stones into children for Abraham. ¹⁰^(F) An ax is ready to cut the trees down at their roots. Any tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into a fire.

¹¹I baptize you with water so you will give up your sins.^[c] But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to carry his sandals.^[d] He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹²^(G) His threshing fork is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks.^[e] He will store the wheat in a barn and burn the husks in a fire that never goes out.

The Baptism of Jesus

(Mark 1.9-11; Luke 3.21,22)

¹³Jesus left Galilee and went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. ¹⁴But John kept objecting and said, “I ought to be baptized by you. Why have you come to me?”

¹⁵Jesus answered, “For now this is how it should be, because we must do all God wants us to do.” Then John agreed.

¹⁶So Jesus was baptized. And as soon as he came out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove. ¹⁷^(H) Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him.”

Footnotes

3.2 kingdom of heaven: In the Gospel of Matthew “kingdom of heaven” is used with the same meaning as “God's kingdom” in Mark and Luke.
3.2 will soon be here: Or “is already here.”
3.11 so you will give up your sins: Or “because you have given up your sins.”
3.11 carry his sandals: This was one of the duties of a slave.
3.12 His threshing fork is in his hand, and he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks: After Jewish farmers had trampled out the grain, they used a large fork to pitch the grain and the husks into the air. Wind would blow away the light husks, and the grain would fall back to the ground, where it could be gathered up.

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional) (CCBT)

By Biblica

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

馬太福音 3 Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)