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
Yauhas uas coj ua kevcai raus dej
(Mth. 3:1-12; Mk. 1:1-8; Yh. 1:19-28)
1Xyoo kaum tsib uas Xixa Thinpeli‑au ua vajntxwv, yog thaum Phauthi‑au Philaj ua tswv xeev kav Yudia thiab Helauj ua thawj kav lub xeev Kalilais, thiab nws tus kwv Fili ua thawj kav Ithulia thiab Thakhaunithi li kav xyuam thiab Lixana ua thawj kav lub xeev Anpilee, 2lub sijhawm ntawd Anas thiab Khayafa ua tuam pov thawj hlob, mas Vajtswv tej lus tuaj txog Xekhaliya tus tub Yauhas hauv tebchaws moj sab qhua. 3Yauhas mus thoob plaws ntawm ntug dej Yaladee tshaj tawm kom ua kevcai raus dej qhia tias ntxeev dua siab tshiab thiaj tau txais kev zam txim. 4Raws li tej lus sau cia hauv xibhwb Yaxaya uas cev Vajtswv lus phau ntawv hais tias, “Muaj ib lub suab qw hauv tebchaws moj sab qhua hais tias, “ ‘Cia li npaj tus Tswv txojkev, cia li ua nws txoj kev kom ncaj. 5Txhua lub hav yuav raug muab txhub kom puv, txhua lub roob thiab tej pov roob yuav muab txo kom qes, tej kev nkhaus yuav muab kho kom ncaj, tej kev uas ib qho siab ib qho qes yuav ua kom tiaj, 6thiab ib tsoom neeg sawvdaws yuav pom Vajtswv txojkev cawm dim.’ ”⚓ 7Yauhas hais rau cov neeg coob coob uas tuaj ua kevcai raus dej ntawm nws hais tias, “Cov niag noob nab phem, leejtwg ntuas kom nej khiav ntawm Vajtswv txojkev npau taws uas yuav los? 8Cia li ua lub neej⚓ kom phim qhov uas nej ntxeev dua siab tshiab, thiab tsis txhob pib xav hauv lub siab tias, ‘Peb muaj Aplahas ua peb txiv,’ rau qhov kuv qhia rau nej tias Vajtswv muab tau tej pob zeb no ua tau Aplahas li tub ki. 9Nimno twb muab rab taus twb rau ntawm hauv paus ntoo lawm. Txhua tsob ntoo uas tsis txi txiv zoo yuav raug muab ntov pov rau hauv cub hluavtaws.” 10Cov neeg ntawd thiaj nug Yauhas tias, “Yog li ntawd peb yuav ua li cas?” 11Nws teb lawv tias, “Tus uas muaj ob lub tsho ntev, cia li muab faib rau tus uas tsis muaj. Tus uas muaj zaub mov kuj cia nws muab faib ib yam nkaus.” 12Cov neeg sau se kuj tuaj ua kevcai raus dej thiab nug nws hais tias, “Xibhwb, peb yuav ua li cas?” 13Nws hais rau lawv tias, “Tsis txhob sau tshaj tej uas teem cia.” 14Cov tub rog kuj nug nws tias, “Peb nev, peb yuav ua li cas?” Nws hais rau lawv tias, “Tsis txhob txhav luag nyiaj, tsis txhob nrhiav lus nkaug luag, cia li txaus siab rau nej tej nqe zog.” 15Tej neeg tos ntsoov thiab sawvdaws xav hauv lub siab tias tej zaum Yauhas yog tus Khetos.⚓16Yauhas teb lawv sawvdaws tias, “Kuv muab nej ua kevcai raus hauv dej tiamsis muaj ib tug muaj hwjchim loj dua kuv yuav los, kuv twb tsis tsim nyog daws nws txoj hlua khau. Nws yuav muab nej ua kevcai raus hauv Vaj Ntsuj Plig uas dawb huv thiab hauv hluavtaws. 17Rab ntxuam⚓ nyob hauv nws txhais tes lawm, nws yuav ntxuaj nws lub tshav ntaus qoob, thiab yuav sau nws tej mog los cia rau hauv txhab, tiamsis nws yuav muab hluavtaws hlawv cov npluag kub hnyiab tsis txawj tuag li.” 18Yauhas qhuab qhia ntau zaj ntxiv thiab tshaj tawm txoj xov zoo rau lawv. 19Tus tswv xeev uas yog Helauj twb raug Yauhas yws vim yog tim Helaudia uas yog Helauj tus kwv Fili tus pojniam thiab tim tej kev phem huvsi uas Helauj ua, 20los Helauj tseem ua ib yam phem ntxiv rau tej uas nws ua tag lawd, yog qhov uas nws muab Yauhas kaw rau hauv tsev lojfaj.
Yexus ua kevcai raus dej
(Mth. 3:13-17; Mk. 1:9-11)
21Thaum sawvdaws ua kevcai raus dej, Yexus kuj ua kevcai raus dej thiab. Thaum nws tabtom thov Vajtswv ces rooj ntug txawm qheb kiag, 22mas Vajtswv tus Ntsuj Plig uas dawb huv zoo li ib tug nquab nqes los rau saum nws, thiab muaj suab hais saum ntuj tuaj hais tias, “Koj yog kuv tus tub uas kuv hlub, kuv txaus siab rau koj heev.”