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II.— COMIENZOS DEL MINISTERIO DE JESÚS (3,1—4,11)

Predicación de Juan el Bautista (Mc 1,2-8; Lc 3,1-9.16-17; Jn 1,23-27)

Por aquel tiempo comenzó Juan el Bautista a predicar en el desierto de Judea. Decía:

— Conviértanse, porque ya está cerca el reino de los cielos.

A este Juan se había referido el profeta Isaías cuando dijo:

Se oye una voz;
alguien clama en el desierto:
“¡Preparen el camino del Señor;
abran sendas rectas para él!”.

Juan iba vestido de pelo de camello, llevaba un cinturón de cuero y se alimentaba de saltamontes y miel silvestre. Acudían a él gentes de Jerusalén, de toda Judea y de toda la ribera del Jordán. Confesaban sus pecados, y Juan los bautizaba en las aguas del Jordán. Pero al ver que muchos fariseos y saduceos acudían a recibir el bautismo, Juan les decía:

— ¡Hijos de víbora! ¿Quién les ha avisado para que huyan del inminente castigo? Demuestren con hechos su conversión y no se hagan ilusiones pensando que son descendientes de Abrahán. Porque les digo que Dios puede sacar de estas piedras descendientes de Abrahán. 10 Ya está el hacha preparada para cortar de raíz los árboles, y todo árbol que no dé buen fruto será cortado y arrojado al fuego. 11 Yo los bautizo con agua para que se conviertan; pero el que viene después de mí es más poderoso que yo, y yo ni siquiera soy digno de llevarle las sandalias. Él los bautizará con Espíritu Santo y fuego. 12 Llega, horqueta en mano, dispuesto a limpiar su era; guardará el trigo en el granero, mientras que con la paja hará una hoguera que arderá sin fin.

Jesús es bautizado (Mc 1,9-11; Lc 3,21-22)

13 Por aquel tiempo llegó Jesús al Jordán procedente de Galilea para que Juan lo bautizara. 14 Pero Juan se resistía diciendo:

— Soy yo quien necesita ser bautizado por ti, ¿y tú vienes a que yo te bautice?

15 Jesús le contestó:

— ¡Déjalo así por ahora! Es menester que cumplamos lo que Dios ha dispuesto.

Entonces Juan consintió. 16 Una vez bautizado, Jesús salió en seguida del agua. En ese momento se abrieron los cielos y Jesús vio que el Espíritu de Dios descendía como una paloma y se posaba sobre él. 17 Y una voz, proveniente del cielo, decía:

— Este es mi Hijo amado en quien me complazco.

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