Matthew 3
Living Bible
3 While they were living in Nazareth,[a] John the Baptist began preaching out in the Judean wilderness. His constant theme was, 2 “Turn from your sins . . . turn to God . . . for the Kingdom of Heaven is coming soon.”[b] 3 Isaiah the prophet had told about John’s ministry centuries before! He had written,
“I hear[c] a shout from the wilderness, ‘Prepare a road for the Lord—straighten out the path where he will walk.’”
4 John’s clothing was woven from camel’s hair and he wore a leather belt; his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People from Jerusalem and from all over the Jordan Valley, and, in fact, from every section of Judea went out to the wilderness to hear him preach, 6 and when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.
7 But when he saw many Pharisees[d] and Sadducees coming to be baptized, he denounced them.
“You sons of snakes!” he warned. “Who said that you could escape the coming wrath of God? 8 Before being baptized, prove that you have turned from sin by doing worthy deeds. 9 Don’t try to get by as you are, thinking, ‘We are safe for we are Jews—descendants of Abraham.’ That proves nothing. God can change these stones here into Jews![e]
10 “And even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised to chop down every unproductive tree. They will be chopped and burned.
11 “With water[f] I baptize those who repent of their sins; but someone else is coming, far greater than I am, so great that I am not worthy to carry his shoes! He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 He will separate the chaff from the grain, burning the chaff with never-ending fire and storing away the grain.”
13 Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized there by John. 14 John didn’t want to do it.
“This isn’t proper,” he said. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you.”
15 But Jesus said, “Please do it, for I must do all that is right.”[g] So then John baptized him.
16 After his baptism, as soon as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God coming down in the form of a dove. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, and I am wonderfully pleased with him.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 3:1 While they were living in Nazareth, literally, “In those days.”
- Matthew 3:2 is coming soon, or “has arrived”; literally, “is at hand.”
- Matthew 3:3 I hear, implied. See Isaiah 40:3.
- Matthew 3:7 Pharisees, Jewish religious leaders who strictly followed the letter of the law but often violated its intent. Sadducees, Jewish political leaders.
- Matthew 3:9 God can change these stones here into Jews, literally, “God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”
- Matthew 3:11 With water . . . with the Holy Spirit, or “In water . . . in the Holy Spirit.”
- Matthew 3:15 do all that is right, literally, “fulfill all righteousness.”
Matthew 3
Wycliffe Bible
3 In those days John Baptist came, and preached in the desert of Judaea, [In those days came John Baptist, preaching in the desert of Judaea,]
2 and said, Do ye penance, for the kingdom of heavens shall approach.[a]
3 For this is he, of whom it is said by Esaias, the prophet, saying, A voice of a crier in desert, Make ye ready the ways of the Lord; make ye right the paths of him.[b]
4 And this John [Forsooth that same John] had clothing of camel's hairs, and a girdle of skin about his loins; and his meat was honeysuckles [soothly his meat was locusts], and honey of the wood.
5 Then Jerusalem went out to him, and all Judaea, and all the country about Jordan;
6 and they were washed of him in Jordan [and were christened of him in Jordan], acknowledging their sins.
7 But he saw many of the Pharisees and of Sadducees coming to his baptism, and said to them, Generation of adders, who showed to you to flee from the wrath that is to come? [Soothly he seeing many of Pharisees and of Sadducees coming to his baptism, said to them, Generations of adders, who showed to you to flee from wrath to come?]
8 Therefore do ye worthy fruits of penance,
9 and do not ye say within you, We have Abraham to our father; for I say to you, that God is mighty to raise up of these stones the sons of Abraham.
10 And now the ax is put to the root of the tree; therefore every tree that maketh not good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire.
11 I wash you in water [Soothly I christen you in water], into penance; but he that shall come after me is stronger than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you [he shall baptize, or christen, you] in the Holy Ghost and [in] fire.
12 Whose winnowing cloth is in his hand, and he shall fully cleanse his corn floor, and shall gather his wheat into his barn; but the chaff he shall burn with fire that may not be quenched.[c]
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee into Jordan to John, to be baptized of him [to be christened of him].
14 And John forbade him, and said, I owe to be baptized of thee, and thou comest to me? [Soothly John forbade him, saying, I owe to be christened of thee, and comest thou to me?]
15 But Jesus answered, and said to him, Suffer now, for thus it falleth to us to fulfill all rightwiseness [Forsooth Jesus answering said to him, Suffer now, for so it becometh us to fulfill all rightwiseness]. Then John suffered him.
16 And when Jesus was baptized, at once he went up from the water [Forsooth Jesus christened ascended up anon from the water]; and lo! heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down as a dove, and coming on him [and coming upon him];
17 and lo! a voice from heaven, saying, This is my loved Son [and lo! a voice from heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son], in which I have well pleased to me.
Footnotes
- Matthew 3:2 saying, Do ye penance, for the kingdom of heaven shall nigh.
- Matthew 3:3 Forsooth this is he, of whom it is said by Esaias, saying, A voice of a man crying in desert, Make ye ready the way of the Lord; make ye rightful the paths of him.
- Matthew 3:12 Whose winnowing cloth, or fan, in his hand, and he shall fully cleanse his floor, and shall gather his wheat into his barn; but chaffs he shall burn with fire unquenchable, or that never shall be quenched.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
2001 by Terence P. Noble