Enn dee Doag kjeem Jehaun dee Taufa enn praedjd enne Wiltnes enn Judaea,

en saed: "Doot buesse, dan daut Himelsrikj es dicht bie jekome".

Dan dit es dee fonn daem dee Profeet Jesaja raed, en saed: "Ne Stem fonn eenem dee enne Wiltnes schricht: "Moakt daem Herr sien Wajch reed, moakt sien Stich jlikj."

Nu Jehaun siene Kjleeda weare fonn Kameelhoa jemoakt, en hee haud ne ladane Gort omme Lint, en sien Aete wea Heischrakje en wila Honnich.

Donn kjeeme Jerusalen en aul dee fonn Judaea en dee Jaeajent romm daen Jordan, no am,

en bekjande aeare sind en leete sikj fonn am taufe em Fluss Jordan.

Oba aus hee sach fael fonn dee Farisaea en Sadutsaea no dee Taufe kome, saed hee to an: "Jie jeftje Schlangebrood, waea haft junt jewoarnt fonn daut komende Jerecht wajch to ranne?

Doaromm bewiest Frucht daut de Buesse bedeenstfoll es;

en raeakjent nich mank junt selfst to saje, 'Wie ha Obraum aus onns Foda,' dan ekj saj junt daut Gott ut dise Steena kaun Kjinje faeabrinje fa Obraum.

10 Dee Akjs es nu aul bie dee Beem aune Wartel jelajcht; doaromm en jeeda Boom dee nich goodet Frucht brinjt woat dol jeschnaede woare, en em Fia jeschmaete.

11 Ekj doo junt enn Wota taufe to de Buesse, oba doa es eena dee no mie kjemt, dee stoakja es aus ekj, en ekj sie nich weat siene Schoo to droage. Dee woat junt em Heilje Jeist, en Fia taufe.

12 Siene Worfscheffel es enn siene Haunt, en hee woat siene Draschflua fonn Grunnt rein moake, en woat daen Weit enn sien Spikje enenn brinje, oba daut sprie woat hee met Fia febrenne daut nich utolasche jeit.

13 Donn kjeem Jesus fonn Galilaea nom Jordan no Jehaun omm sikj fonn am taufe to lote.

14 Oba Jehaun wull daut nich, en saed: "Ekj sull mie fonn die taufe lote, en du kjemst no mie?"

15 Oba Jesus auntwuad am en saed: "Lot senne, dan daut es soo pausent fa onns aule Jerachtichkjeit to erfelle." Donn leet hee daut too.

16 Aus Jesus jetauft wea, kjeem hee fuats utem Wota rut, en kjikj! de Himel muak sikj op, en hee sach Gott sien Jeist rauf kome soo aus ne Duw, dee sikj opp am sad;

17 En see, ne Stem kjeem utem Himel, dee saed: "Dit es mien leefsta Saen, met daem ekj seeha tofraed sie".

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