Mattityahu (Mat) 3
3
1It 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!” 3This 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!’”
4Yochanan wore clothes of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5People went out to him from Yerushalayim, from all Y’hudah, and from the whole region around the Yarden. 6Confessing their sins, they were immersed by him in the Yarden River.
7But 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? 8If you have really turned from your sins to God, produce fruit that will prove it! 9And 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! 10Already 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! 11It’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. 12He 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!”
13Then Yeshua came from the Galil to the Yarden to be immersed by Yochanan. 14But Yochanan tried to stop him. “You are coming to me? I ought to be immersed by you!” 15However, Yeshua answered him, “Let it be this way now, because we should do everything righteousness requires.” Then Yochanan let him. 16As 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, 17and a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; I am well pleased with him.”
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Mattityahu (Mat) 3: CJB
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Learn More About Complete Jewish BibleMatthew 3
3
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1In those days John the Baptist came and preached in the Desert of Judea. 2He said, “Turn away from your sins! The kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3John is the one Isaiah the prophet had spoken about. He had said,
“A messenger is calling out in the desert,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
Make straight paths for him.’ ” (Isaiah 40:3)
4John’s clothes were made out of camel’s hair. He had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea. They also came from the whole area around the Jordan River. 6When they confessed their sins, John baptized them in the Jordan.
7John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing. He said to them, “You are like a nest of poisonous snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming of God’s anger? 8Live in a way that shows you have turned away from your sins. 9Don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘Abraham is our father.’ I tell you, God can raise up children for Abraham even from these stones. 10The ax is ready to cut the roots of the trees. All the trees that don’t produce good fruit will be cut down. They will be thrown into the fire.
11“I baptize you with water, calling you to turn away from your sins. But after me, someone is coming who is more powerful than I am. I’m not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His pitchfork is in his hand to clear the straw from his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the storeroom. But he will burn up the husks with fire that can’t be put out.”
Jesus Is Baptized
13Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River. He wanted to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to stop him. So he told Jesus, “I need to be baptized by you. So why do you come to me?”
15Jesus replied, “Let it be this way for now. It is right for us to do this. It carries out God’s holy plan.” Then John agreed.
16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened. Jesus saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove. 17A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, and I love him. I am very pleased with him.”
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