1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6And all people will see God’s salvation.’ ”⚓ 7John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” 10“What should we do then?” the crowd asked. 11John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” 12Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” 13“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. 14Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” 15The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. 16John answered them all, “I baptize you with⚓ water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with⚓ the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them. 19But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, 20Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
The Baptism and Genealogy of Jesus
21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” 23Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melki, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josek, the son of Joda, 27the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28the son of Melki, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon,⚓ the son of Nahshon, 33the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram,⚓ the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan, 38the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
3
Yauhaa kws coj ua kevcai raus dej
(Mth. 3:1-12; Mk. 1:1-8; Yh. 1:19-28)
1Xyoo kaum tswb kws Xixa Thinpeli‑au ua vaajntxwv, yog thaus Phauthi‑au Philaj ua tswv xeev kaav Yutia hab Helauj ua thawj kaav lub xeev Kalilai, hab nwg tug kwv Fili ua thawj kaav Ithulia hab Thakhaunithi le kaav xyuam hab Lixania ua thawj kaav lub xeev Anpilee, 2lub swjhawm ntawd Ana hab Khayafa ua tuam pov thawj hlub, mas Vaajtswv tej lug tuaj txug Xekhaliya tug tub Yauhaa huv tebchaws moj saab qhua. 3Yauhaa moog thoob plawg ntawm ntug dej Yalatee tshaaj tawm kuas ua kevcai raus dej qha tas ntxeev dua sab tshab txhad tau txais kev zaam txem. 4Lawv le tej lug sau ca huv xwbfwb Yaxaya kws cev Vaajtswv lug phoo ntawv has tas, “Muaj ib lub suab qw huv tebchaws moj saab qhua has tas, “ ‘Ca le npaaj tug Tswv txujkev, ca le ua nwg txuj kev kuas ncaaj. 5Txhua lub haav yuav raug muab txhub kuas puv, txhua lub roob hab tej pov roob yuav muab txu kuas qeg, tej kev nkhaus yuav muab khu kuas ncaaj, tej kev kws ib qho sab ib qho qeg yuav ua kuas taj, 6hab ib tsoom tuabneeg suavdawg yuav pum Vaajtswv txujkev cawm dim.’ ”⚓ 7Yauhaa has rua cov tuabneeg coob coob kws tuaj ua kevcai raus dej ntawm nwg has tas, “Cov nam noob naab phem, leejtwg ntuag kuas mej tswv ntawm Vaajtswv txujkev npau tawg kws yuav lug? 8Ca le ua lub neej⚓ kuas phim qhov kws mej ntxeev dua sab tshab, hab tsw xob chiv xaav huv lub sab tas, ‘Peb muaj Aplahaa ua peb txwv,’ tsua qhov kuv qha rua mej tas Vaajtswv muab tau tej cos zeb nuav ua tau Aplahaa le tub ki. 9Nwgnuav tub muab raab taus twb rua ntawm hauv paug ntoo lawm. Txhua tsob ntoo kws tsw txw txwv zoo yuav raug muab ntuv pov nrum rua huv cub suavtawg.” 10Cov tuabneeg hov txhad nug Yauhaa tas, “Yog le ntawd peb yuav ua le caag?” 11Nwg teb puab tas, “Tug kws muaj ob lub tsho ntev, ca le muab faib rua tug kws tsw muaj. Tug kws muaj zaub mov kuj ca nwg muab faib ib yaam nkaus.” 12Cov tuabneeg sau se kuj tuaj ua kevcai raus dej hab nug nwg has tas, “Xwbfwb, peb yuav ua le caag?” 13Nwg has rua puab tas, “Tsw xob sau tshaaj tej kws teem ca.” 14Cov tub rog kuj nug nwg tas, “Peb nev, peb yuav ua le caag?” Nwg has rua puab tas, “Tsw xob txhaav luas nyaj, tsw xob nrhav lug nkaug luas, ca le txaus sab rua mej tej nqe zug.” 15Tej tuabneeg tog ntsoov hab suavdawg xaav huv lub sab tas tej zag Yauhaa yog tug Kheto.⚓16Yauhaa teb puab suavdawg tas, “Kuv muab mej ua kevcai raus huv dej tassws muaj ib tug muaj fwjchim luj dua kuv yuav lug, kuv tub tsw tswm nyog daws nwg txuj hlua khau. Nwg yuav muab mej ua kevcai raus huv Vaaj Ntsuj Plig kws dawb huv hab huv suavtawg. 17Raab ntxuam⚓ nyob huv nwg txhais teg lawm, nwg yuav ntxuaj nwg lub tshaav ntaus qoob, hab yuav sau nwg tej mog lug ca rua huv txhaab, tassws nwg yuav muab suavtawg hlawv cov npluag kub nyab tsw txawj tuag le.” 18Yauhaa qhuab qha ntau zaaj ntxwv hab tshaaj tawm txuj xuv zoo rua puab. 19Tug tswv xeev kws yog Helauj tub raug Yauhaa ywg vem yog tim Helauntia kws yog Helauj tug kwv Fili tug quaspuj hab tim tej kev phem huvsw kws Helauj ua, 20los Helauj tseed ua ib yaam phem ntxwv rua tej kws nwg ua taag lawd, yog qhov kws nwg muab Yauhaa kaw rua huv tsev lojfaaj.
Yexu ua kevcai raus dej
(Mth. 3:13-17; Mk. 1:9-11)
21Thaus suavdawg ua kevcai raus dej, Yexu kuj ua kevcai raus dej hab. Thaus nwg saamswm thov Vaajtswv tes rooj ntug txawm qheb hlo, 22mas Vaajtswv tug Ntsuj Plig kws dawb huv zoo le ib tug nquab nqeg lug rua sau nwg, hab muaj suab has sau ntuj tuaj has tas, “Koj yog kuv tug Tub kws kuv hlub, kuv txaus sab rua koj heev.”