馬 太 福 音 3
Chinese New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version
施洗者约翰为耶稣铺路
3 当时，施洗者约翰在犹太的荒原上传教。 2 他对人们说∶“悔改吧，天国很近了。 [a]” 3 约翰就是先知以赛亚所说的那个人。先知说：
“旷野里有个呼唤着的人，
‘为主准备好道路。
修直他的路。’” (A)
4 约翰身穿骆驼毛织成的衣服，腰系皮带，吃的是蝗虫和野蜜。 5 人们纷纷离开耶路撒冷、犹太各地和约旦河一带所有地区，来到约翰那里。 6 他们承认自己的罪，并在约旦河里接受了约翰的洗礼。
7 许多法利赛人和撒都该人也来接受约翰的洗礼，约翰看到他们，说道∶“你们这些毒蛇，谁警告过你们去逃避即将来临的上帝的审判呢？ 8 改变你们的内心吧！通过你们的生活方式来表明你们已经改变了。 9 我知道你们在想什么，你们想说：‘但是，亚伯拉罕是我们的祖先！’这毫无意义。我告诉你们，上帝可以让这些石头都变成亚伯拉罕的子孙！ 10 现在砍树的斧头已经准备好了，每棵不结好果子的树 [b]都将被砍倒，扔进火里。
11 我用水给你们施洗礼来表示你们的悔改。但是，在我之后来的那位，他比我更强大，我甚至都不配当给他脱鞋的奴仆。他将用圣灵和火给你们施洗礼。 12 他手里拿着簸谷叉，他将清理谷场，把麦粒收进粮仓，把麦麸 [c]用不灭的火烧掉。”
耶稣受洗
13 然后，耶稣从加利利来到约旦河。他走到约翰面前，请约翰为他施洗礼。 14 但是约翰说他不配为耶稣施洗礼，他说∶“我应该让您给我洗礼，您怎么反而来找我呢？” 15 耶稣回答说∶“现在就照上帝的方式来做吧，凡是对的，我们都应当做。”约翰这才同意为耶稣施洗礼。
16 这样，耶稣接受了洗礼。就在耶稣从水里站出来的时候，天为他豁然敞开，耶稣看见上帝的灵像鸽子一样降落在他身上。 17 一个来自天堂的声音说∶“这是我的爱子，他令我非常喜悦！”
Footnotes
- 馬 太 福 音 3:2 很近了： 或“即将来临” 或“已来临。”
- 馬 太 福 音 3:10 树： 即不接受耶稣的人，他们会像树一样被砍倒。不结善果的树指不信耶稣的人。
- 馬 太 福 音 3:12 麦粒指好人： 麦麸指坏人。这里的意思是耶稣把好人和坏人分开。
Matthew 3
The Voice
Nazarene means, “tender, green, or living branch.” Jesus is the living Branch, the branch of David that extends the reach of the tree of Israel eventually to foreigners and outsiders.
3 Around the same time, a man called John[a] began to travel, preach, and ritually wash people through baptism in the wilderness of Judea. John preached a stern but exciting message.
John: 2 Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is near.
3 John’s proclamation fulfilled a promise made by the ancient prophet Isaiah, who had said, “There will be a voice calling from the desert, saying,
Prepare the road for the Eternal One’s journey;
repair and straighten out every mile of our God’s highway.”[b]
4 John wore wild clothes made from camel hair with a leather belt around his waist—the clothes of an outcast, a rebel. He ate locusts and wild honey.
Sometimes when people see John they are reminded of the last time God’s people had wandered in a wilderness—after the exodus from Egypt. John is all about wilderness. He preaches in the wilderness, and he wears clothes just like the prophet Elijah had worn. They think perhaps John is inaugurating a new exodus. Actually, that is a pretty good way to think of it. The Anointed One, whose way John comes to prepare, will call humanity away from comfort and status; He will call His followers to challenge their assumptions and the things they take for granted.
5 People from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and indeed from all around the river Jordan came to John. 6 They confessed their sins, and they were baptized[c] by him in the Jordan.
But John is not exactly warm to all those who come to him seeking cleansing.
7 He told some Pharisees and Sadducees who came for the ritual baptism,
John: You children of serpents! You brood of vipers! Did someone suggest you flee from the wrath that is upon us? 8-9 If you think that simply hopping in the Jordan will cleanse you, then you are sorely mistaken. Your life must bear the fruits of turning toward righteousness. Nor are you correct if you think that being descended from Abraham is enough to make you holy and right with God. Yes, the children of Abraham are God’s chosen children, but God can adopt as daughters and sons anyone He likes—He can turn these stones into sons if He likes.
To be made right with God, one must truly repent. It means to turn completely away from sin and completely toward God.
10 Even now there is an ax poised at the root of every tree, and every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and tossed into the fire. 11 I ritually cleanse you through baptism[d] as a mark of turning your life around. But someone is coming after me, someone whose sandals I am not fit to carry, someone who is more powerful than I. He will wash[e] you not in water but in fire and with the Holy Spirit. 12 He carries a winnowing fork in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor; He will gather up the good wheat in His barn, and He will burn the chaff with a fire that cannot be put out.
13 And then, the One of whom John spoke—the all-powerful Jesus—came to the Jordan from Galilee to be washed[f] by John. 14 At first, John demurred.
John: I need to be cleansed[g] by You. Why do You come to me?
Jesus: 15 It will be right, true, and faithful to God’s chosen path for you to cleanse Me with your hands in the Jordan River.
John agreed, and he ritually cleansed Jesus, dousing Him in the waters of the Jordan. 16 Jesus emerged from His baptism;[h] and at that moment heaven was opened, and Jesus saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him, alighting on His very body.
Voice from Heaven: 17 This is My Son, whom I love; this is the Apple of My eye; with Him I am well pleased.
Footnotes
- 3:1 Literally, John who immersed, to show repentance
- 3:3 Isaiah 40:3
- 3:6 Literally, immersed, to show repentance
- 3:11 Literally, immerse, to show repentance
- 3:11 Literally, immerse, in a rite of initiation and purification
- 3:13 Literally, immersed, to show repentance
- 3:14 Literally, immersed, in a rite of initiation and purification
- 3:16 Literally, after being immersed, Jesus came up from the water.
Copyright © 2004 by World Bible Translation Center
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.