马太福音 3
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
开路先锋
3 那时，施洗者约翰来到犹太的旷野传道，说： 2 “悔改吧，因为天国临近了！” 3 约翰就是以赛亚先知所说的那位，他说：“有人在旷野大声呼喊，‘预备主的道，修直祂的路。’”
4 约翰身穿骆驼毛的衣服，腰束皮带，吃的是蝗虫、野蜜。 5 那时，耶路撒冷、犹太各地和约旦河一带的人都来到约翰那里， 6 承认他们的罪，在约旦河里接受他的洗礼。
7 约翰看见很多法利赛人和撒都该人也来受洗，就对他们说：“你们这些毒蛇的后代！谁指示你们逃避那将临的烈怒呢？ 8 你们要结出与悔改相称的果子。 9 不要心里说，‘我们是亚伯拉罕的子孙。’我告诉你们，上帝可以从这些石头中兴起亚伯拉罕的子孙。 10 现在斧头已经放在树根上了，不结好果子的树都要被砍下，丢在火里。 11 我用水为你们施洗，叫你们悔改。但在我之后，有位比我更有能力的要来，我连替祂提鞋都不配。祂要用圣灵和火为你们施洗。 12 祂手拿簸箕，要把谷场清理干净，将麦子存入仓里，用不灭的火把糠秕烧尽。”
耶稣受洗
13 后来，耶稣从加利利来到约旦河要约翰为祂施洗。 14 约翰想要拦住祂，就说：“应该是你为我施洗才对，你反倒来找我？”
15 耶稣回答说：“你就这样做吧！我们理当这样遵行上帝一切的要求。”于是约翰答应了。
16 耶稣受了洗，刚从水里上来，天就开了。祂看见上帝的圣灵像鸽子一样降到祂身上， 17 又有声音从天上传来：“这是我的爱子，我甚喜悦祂。”
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.
5 From Jerusalem and all Judea and from the Jordan River Valley crowds of people went to John. 6 They 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? 8 Do 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.
11 I 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)
13 Jesus left Galilee and went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. 14 But John kept objecting and said, “I ought to be baptized by you. Why have you come to me?”
15 Jesus answered, “For now this is how it should be, because we must do all God wants us to do.” Then John agreed.
16 So 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 Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
