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施洗约翰(A)

那时,施洗的约翰出来,在犹太的旷野传道, 说:“天国近了,你们应当悔改。” 以赛亚先知所说:

“在旷野有呼喊者的声音:

‘预备主的道,

修直他的路!’”

就是指着这约翰说的。 约翰身穿骆驼毛的衣服,腰束皮带,吃的是蝗虫和野蜜。 耶路撒冷、犹太全地和约旦河一带的人都出来到他那里去, 承认自己的罪,在约旦河里受了他的洗。

约翰看见许多法利赛人和撒都该人来到他施洗的地方,就对他们说:“毒蛇所生的啊,谁指示你们逃避那将要来的忿怒呢? 应当结出果子来,与悔改的心相称。 你们心里不要以为:‘我们有亚伯拉罕作我们的祖宗。’我告诉你们, 神能从这些石头中给亚伯拉罕兴起后裔来。 10 现在斧头已经放在树根上,所有不结好果子的树,就砍下来,丢在火里。 11 我用水给你们施洗,表示你们悔改;但在我以后要来的那一位,能力比我更大,我就是替他提鞋也没有资格。他要用圣灵与火给你们施洗。 12 他手里拿着簸箕,要扬净麦场,把麦子收进仓里,却用不灭的火把糠秕烧尽。”

耶稣受洗(B)

13 那时,耶稣从加利利来到约旦河约翰那里,要受他的洗。 14 约翰想要阻止他,说:“我应该受你的洗,你却到我这里来吗?” 15 耶稣回答:“暂且这样作吧。我们理当这样履行全部的义。”于是约翰答应了他。 16 耶稣受了洗,立刻从水中上来;忽然,天为他开了,他看见 神的灵,好象鸽子降下来,落在他身上; 17 又有声音从天上来,说:“这是我的爱子,我所喜悦的。”

The Work of John the Baptist

About that time John the Baptist came and began preaching in the desert area of Judea. John said, “Change your hearts and lives because the kingdom of heaven is coming soon.” John the Baptist is the one Isaiah the prophet was talking about. Isaiah said:

“This is a voice of a man
    who calls out in the desert:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
    Make the road straight for him.’” Isaiah 40:3

John’s clothes were made from camel’s hair. He wore a leather belt around his waist. For food, he ate locusts and wild honey. Many people went to hear John preach. They came from Jerusalem and all Judea and all the area around the Jordan River. They told of the sins they had done, and John baptized them in the Jordan River.

Many of the Pharisees and Sadducees came to the place where John was baptizing people. When John saw them, he said: “You are snakes! Who warned you to run away from God’s anger that is coming? You must do the things that show that you have really changed your hearts and lives. And don’t think that you can say to yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father.’ I tell you that God could make children for Abraham from these rocks. 10 The ax is now ready to cut down the trees. Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.[a]

11 “I baptize you with water to show that your hearts and lives have changed. But there is one coming later who is greater than I am. I am not good enough to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 He will come ready to clean the grain. He will separate the good grain from the chaff. He will put the good part of the grain into his barn. And he will burn the chaff with a fire that cannot be put out.”[b]

Jesus Is Baptized by John

13 At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River. He came to John and wanted John to baptize him. 14 But John tried to stop him. John said, “Why do you come to me to be baptized? I should be baptized by you!”

15 Jesus answered, “Let it be this way for now. We should do all things that are right.” So John agreed to baptize Jesus.

16 Jesus was baptized and came up out of the water. Heaven opened, and he saw God’s Spirit coming down on him like a dove. 17 And a voice spoke from heaven. The voice said, “This is my Son and I love him. I am very pleased with him.”

Footnotes

  1. 3:10 The ax . . . fire. This means that God is ready to punish his people who do not obey him.
  2. 3:12 He will . . . out. This means that Jesus will come to separate the good people from the bad people, saving the good and punishing the bad.

The Preaching of John the Baptist

Now (A)in those days (B)John the Baptist *[a]came, [b]preaching in the (C)wilderness of Judea, saying, (D)Repent, for (E)the kingdom of heaven has come near.” For this is the (F)one referred to [c]by Isaiah the prophet when he said,

(G)The voice of one [d]calling [e]out in the wilderness,
(H)Prepare the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight!’”

Now John himself had [f](I)a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was (J)locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem (K)was going out to him, and all Judea and all (L)the region around the Jordan; and they were being (M)baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

But when he saw many of the (N)Pharisees and (O)Sadducees coming for [g]baptism, he said to them, “You [h](P)offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from (Q)the wrath to come? (R)Therefore produce fruit (S)consistent with repentance; and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘(T)We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham. 10 And the (U)axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, (V)every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “As for me, (W)I baptize you [i]with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; (X)He will baptize you [j]with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His (Y)winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will (Z)gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the (AA)chaff with (AB)unquenchable fire.”

The Baptism of Jesus

13 (AC)Then Jesus *arrived (AD)from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have the need to be baptized by You, and yet You are coming to me?” 15 But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us (AE)to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he *allowed Him. 16 After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and [k](AF)he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and [l]settling on Him, 17 and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “(AG)This is [m]My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 3:1 Or arrived; or appeared
  2. Matthew 3:1 Or proclaiming as a herald
  3. Matthew 3:3 Or through
  4. Matthew 3:3 Or shouting
  5. Matthew 3:3 Or out, Prepare in the wilderness the way
  6. Matthew 3:4 Lit his garment
  7. Matthew 3:7 Later mss his baptism
  8. Matthew 3:7 Or brood
  9. Matthew 3:11 The Gr here can be translated in, with, or by
  10. Matthew 3:11 The Gr here can be translated in, with, or by
  11. Matthew 3:16 Or He
  12. Matthew 3:16 Lit coming upon Him
  13. Matthew 3:17 Or My Son, the Beloved

John the Baptist Prepares the Way(A)

In those days John the Baptist(B) came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven(C) has come near.” 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)

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. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized(H) by him in the Jordan River.

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) Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.(K) 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