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.
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Yauhas Mus Qhuab Qhia
(Mathais 3.1-12; Malakaus 1.1-8; Yauhas 1.19-28)
1Thaum Tinpeli-us ua vajntxwv kav tebchaws tau kaum tsib xyoos lawm, lub sijhawm ntawd Pauti-us Philaj ua tswv xeev kav lub xeev Yudas. Helauj ua nom kav lub xeev Kalilais thiab Helauj tus kwv Filis ua nom kav lub xeev Itule-as thiab lub xeev Takaunitis; Lixaniyas ua nom kav lub xeev Anpilees, 2Anas thiab Kaiyafas ua ob tug Povthawj Hlob. Lub sijhawm ntawd, Vajtswv qhia Vajtswv Txojlus rau Xakhaliyas tus tub Yauhas tom roob mojsab qhua. 3Yog li ntawd, Yauhas thiaj mus qhuab qhia thoob plaws cheebtsam uas nyob ntawm tus Dej Yauladees hais tias, “Nej yuav tsum tso nej tej kev txhaum tseg thiab ua kevcai raus dej, Vajtswv thiaj yuav zam txim rau nej.” 4Qhov no muaj raws li Yaxayas tus uas cev Vajtswv lus sau tseg rau hauv nws phau ntawv hais tias, “Muaj ib tug hais nrov nrov tom roob mojsab qhua hais tias, ‘Cia li kho kev tos tus Tswv; kho kev kom ncaj nws yuav los! 5Txhub txhua lub kwjha kom puv, khawb txhua lub roob thiab txhua lub pov roob kom tiaj. Kho tej kev nkhaus kom ncaj, muab qhov siab thiab qhov qis pheej kom tiaj xwm yeem. 6Txhua haivneeg yuav pom Vajtswv txoj kev cawm dim!’ ” 7Muaj neeg coob coob tuaj cuag Yauhas kom Yauhas muab lawv ua kevcai raus dej. Yauhas hais rau lawv hais tias, “Cov niag nab! Leejtwg qhia rau nej hais tias, nej yuav khiav dim Vajtswv txojkev txiav txim uas twb los yuav txog? 8Nej yuav tsum ua nej lub neej rau sawvdaws pom hais nej twb tso nej tej kev txhaum tseg lawm. Nej tsis txhob khav hais tias, Anplahas yog nej yawgkoob. Kuv qhia rau nej hais tias, txawm yog Vajtswv muab tej pobzeb no los ua Anplahas cov xeebntxwv los nws yeej ua tau! 9Nimno twb muab rab taus tso rau ntawm lub hauvpaus ntoo lawm, twb yuav ntov tus ntoo; txhua tsob ntoo uas tsis txi cov txiv zoo, luag yuav muab ntov thiab muab pov rau hauv cub hluavtaws.” 10Cov neeg coob coob ntawd nug Yauhas hais tias, “Yog li ntawd, peb yuav ua li cas?” 11Yauhas teb lawv hais tias, “Yog leejtwg muaj ob lub tsho, yuav tsum muab ib lub pub rau tus uas tsis muaj, thiab yog leejtwg muaj mov muaj zaub, nws yuav tsum muab faib rau tus uas tsis muaj.” 12Cov neeg uas sau se muaj qee leej tuaj ua kevcai raus dej, thiab lawv nug Yauhas hais tias, “Xibhwb peb yuav ua li cas?” 13Yauhas teb hais tias, “Nej yuav tsum sau raws li kevcai xwb, tsis txhob sau tshaj.” 14Cov tubrog muaj qee leej nug Yauhas ib yam nkaus hais tias, “Ua li peb ne, peb yuav ua li cas?” Yauhas teb hais tias, “Nej tsis txhob yuam leejtwg lossis ntxias luag nyiaj yuav. Nej tau nyiaj hli npaum li cas, cia li txaus siab yuav li ntawd xwb.” 15Cov neeg uas cia siab ntsoov tos tus cawmseej xav hais tias, Yauhas yog tus Mexiyas ntag. 16Yauhas hais rau lawv hais tias, “Kuv muab nej ua kevcai raus dej, tiamsis tus uas yuav lawv kuv qab los, nws muaj hwjchim loj dua kuv, kuv twb tsis tsimnyog daws nws txoj nyuag hlua khau. Nws yuav muab nej ua kevcai raus los ntawm Vaj Ntsujplig tus Dawbhuv thiab ntawm hluavtaws. 17Nws tuav rawv rab ntxuam, nws yuav ntxuaj nws pawg nplej, kom cov npluag ya tawm huv tibsi. Nws yuav muab cov nplej zoo ntim rau hauv nws lub txhab, tiamsis nws yuav muab cov npluag pov rau hauv cub hluavtaws uas cig tsis paub tuag.” 18Yauhas qhia Txojmoo Zoo ntau zaj tsis sib thooj ntuas cov neeg ntawd, kom lawv hloov lawv lub siab. 19Tiamsis Yauhas cem Helauj tus uas ua nom kav lub xeev Kalilais, rau qhov Helauj yuav Helaudias uas yog Helauj tus kwv tus pojniam, thiab Helauj ua ntau yam phem. 20Helauj tseem ua ib qhov phem ntxiv uas yog nws ntes Yauhas coj mus kaw rau hauv tsev lojcuj.
Yexus Ua Kevcai Raus Dej
(Mathais 3.13-17; Malakaus 1.9-11)
21Tom qab uas sawvdaws ua kevcai raus dej tas lawm, Yexus ua kevcai raus dej thiab. Thaum Yexus tabtom thov Vajtswv, rooj ntug txawm qhib plho, 22thiab Vaj Ntsujplig tus Dawbhuv uas muaj lub cev zoo li tus nquab los rau saum Yexus. Thiab muaj ib lub suab hais saum ntuj tuaj rau Yexus hais tias, “Koj yog kuv tus Tub uas kuv hlub, kuv txaus siab rau koj.”