Matthew 3
New Life Version
John the Baptist Makes the Way Ready for Jesus (A)
3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the desert in the country of Judea. 2 He said, “Be sorry for your sins and turn from them! The holy nation of heaven is near.” 3 The early preacher Isaiah spoke of this man. He said, “Listen! His voice calls out in the desert! ‘Make the way ready for the Lord. Make the road straight for Him!’” (B)
4 John wore clothes made of hair from camels. He had a leather belt around him. His food was locusts and wild honey.
5 Then the people of Jerusalem and of all the country of Judea and those from near the Jordan River went to him. 6 Those who told of their sins were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 7 He saw many proud religious law-keepers and other people of the religious group who believe no one will be raised from the dead. They were coming to him to be baptized. He said to them, “You family of snakes! Who told you how to keep from God’s anger that is coming? 8 Do something to show me that your hearts are changed. 9 Do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can make children for Abraham out of these stones.
10 “Even now the ax is on the root of the trees. Every tree that does not give good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 For sure, I baptize with water those who are sorry for their sins and turn from them. The One Who comes after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is greater than I. I am not good enough to take off His shoes. 12 He comes ready to clean the grain. He will gather the grain in and clean it all. The clean grain He will put into a building. He will burn that which is no good with a fire that cannot be put out.”
The Baptism of Jesus (C)
13 Jesus came from Galilee. He went to John at the Jordan River to be baptized by him. 14 John tried to stop Him. He said, “I need to be baptized by You. Do You come to me?” 15 Jesus said to him, “Let it be done now. We should do what is right.” John agreed and baptized Jesus. 16 When Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens opened. He saw the Spirit of God coming down and resting on Jesus like a dove. 17 A voice was heard from heaven. It said, “This is My much-loved Son. I am very happy with Him.”
Matthew 3
Complete Jewish Bible
3 It was during those days that Yochanan the Immerser arrived in the desert of Y’hudah and began proclaiming the message, 2 “Turn from your sins to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!” 3 This is the man Yesha‘yahu was talking about when he said,
“The voice of someone crying out:
‘In the desert prepare the way of Adonai!
Make straight paths for him!’”[a]
4 Yochanan wore clothes of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Yerushalayim, from all Y’hudah, and from the whole region around the Yarden. 6 Confessing their sins, they were immersed by him in the Yarden River.
7 But when Yochanan saw many of the P’rushim and Tz’dukim coming to be immersed by him, he said to them, “You snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming punishment? 8 If you have really turned from your sins to God, produce fruit that will prove it! 9 And don’t suppose you can comfort yourselves by saying, ‘Avraham is our father’! For I tell you that God can raise up for Avraham sons from these stones! 10 Already the axe is at the root of the trees, ready to strike; every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown in the fire! 11 It’s true that I am immersing you in water so that you might turn from sin to God; but the one coming after me is more powerful than I — I’m not worthy even to carry his sandals — and he will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh and in fire. 12 He has with him his winnowing fork; and he will clear out his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn but burning up the straw with unquenchable fire!”
13 Then Yeshua came from the Galil to the Yarden to be immersed by Yochanan. 14 But Yochanan tried to stop him. “You are coming to me? I ought to be immersed by you!” 15 However, Yeshua answered him, “Let it be this way now, because we should do everything righteousness requires.” Then Yochanan let him. 16 As soon as Yeshua had been immersed, he came up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, he saw the Spirit of God coming down upon him like a dove, 17 and a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; I am well pleased with him.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 3:3 Isaiah 40:3
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Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.