Matthew 3
International Children’s Bible
The Work of John the Baptist
3 About that time John the Baptist came and began preaching in the desert area of Judea. 2 John said, “Change your hearts and lives because the kingdom of heaven is coming soon.” 3 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
4 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. 5 Many people went to hear John preach. They came from Jerusalem and all Judea and all the area around the Jordan River. 6 They told of the sins they had done, and John baptized them in the Jordan River.
7 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? 8 You must do the things that show that you have really changed your hearts and lives. 9 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.”
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。
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
Copyright © 2004 by World Bible Translation Center