Matthew 3
3
The Work of John the Baptist
1About that time John the Baptist began preaching in the desert area of Judea. 2John said, “Change your hearts and lives because the kingdom of heaven is near.” 3John the Baptist is the one Isaiah the prophet was talking about when he said:
“This is a voice of one
who calls out in the desert:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
Make the road straight for him.’ ”#Isaiah 40:3
4John’s clothes were made from camel’s hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food, he ate locusts and wild honey. 5Many people came from Jerusalem and Judea and all the area around the Jordan River to hear John. 6They confessed their sins, and he baptized them in the Jordan River.
7Many 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 coming punishment? 8Do the things that show you really have changed your hearts and lives. 9And don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father.’ I tell you that God could make children for Abraham from these rocks. 10The ax is now ready to cut down the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11“I baptize you with water to show that your hearts and lives have changed. But there is one coming after me who is greater than I am, whose sandals I am not good enough to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12He will come ready to clean the grain, separating the good grain from the chaff. He will put the good part of the grain into his barn, but he will burn the chaff with a fire that cannot be put out.”
Jesus Is Baptized by John
13At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River and wanted John to baptize him. 14But John tried to stop him, saying, “Why do you come to me to be baptized? I need to be baptized by you!”
15Jesus answered, “Let it be this way for now. We should do all things that are God’s will.” So John agreed to baptize Jesus.
16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. Then heaven opened, and he saw God’s Spirit coming down on him like a dove. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love, and I am very pleased with him.”
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Matthew 3: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Mattithyahu (Matthew) 3
3
1And in those days Yoḥanan the Immerser came proclaiming in the wilderness of Yehuḏah,
2and saying, “Repent, for the reign of the heavens has come near!”
3For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Yeshayahu, saying, “A voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of יהוה, make His paths straight.’ ”# Isa. 40:3
4And Yoḥanan had a garment of camel’s hair, and a leather girdle around his waist. And his food was locusts and wild honey.
5Then Yerushalayim, and all Yehuḏah, and all the country around the Yardĕn went out to him,
6and they were immersed by him in the Yardĕn, confessing their sins.
7And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his immersion, he said to them, “Brood of adders! Who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8“Bear, therefore, fruits worthy of repentance,
9and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Aḇraham as father.’#See John 8:33-44; Rom. 9:8; Rom. 2:26-29 For I say to you that Elohim is able to raise up children#The only difference in Hebrew between children and stones is the first letter of the word. Children - banim. Stones - aḇanim. to Aḇraham from these stones.
10“And the axe is already laid to the root of the trees. Every tree, then, which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11I indeed immerse you in water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to bear. He shall immerse you in the Set-apart Spirit and fire.
12His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He shall thoroughly cleanse His threshing-floor, and gather His wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff He shall burn with unquenchable fire.
13Then יהושע came from Galil to Yoḥanan at the Yardĕn to be immersed by him.
14But Yoḥanan was hindering Him, saying, “I need to be immersed by You, and You come to me?”
15But יהושע answering, said to him, “Permit it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him.
16And having been immersed, יהושע went up immediately from the water, and see, the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of Elohim descending like a dove and coming upon Him,
17and see, a voice out of the heavens, saying, “This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I delight.”
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