マタイの福音書 3
1 第一款 洗者ヨハネの先駆 其頃、洗者ヨハネ來りてユデアの荒野に教を宣べ、
About that time John the Baptist first appeared, proclaiming in the Wilderness of Judea:
2 云ひけるは、汝等改心せよ、天國は近づけり、と。
“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
3 蓋是預言者イザヤによりて云はれし人なり、曰く「荒野に呼はる人の聲ありて云ふ、汝等主の道を備へ、其小径を直くせよ」と。
This is he who was spoken of in the Prophet Isaiah, where he says — ‘The voice of one crying aloud in the Wilderness: “Make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”’
4 ヨハネは駱駝の毛衣を着、腰に皮帯を締め、蝗と野蜜とを常食と為し居たりき。
John wore clothing made of camels’ hair, with a belt of leather round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5 時にエルザレムユデアの全國ヨルダン[河]に沿へる全地方[の人]彼の許に出で、
At that time Jerusalem, and all Judea, as well as the whole district of the Jordan, went out to him
6 己が罪を告白して、ヨルダンにて洗せられ居りしが、
and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 多くのファリザイ人及サドカイ人の己に洗せられんとて來るを見て、ヨハネ是に云ひけるは、蝮の裔よ、來るべき怒を逃るる事を誰か汝等に誨へしぞ。
When, however, John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to receive his baptism, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who has prompted you to seek refuge from the coming judgment?
8 然れば改心の相當なる果を結べよ。
Let your life, then, prove your repentance;
9 汝等、我等の父にアブラハムありと心の中に云はんとすること勿れ、蓋我汝等に告ぐ、神は是等の石よりアブラハムの為に子等を起すことを得給ふ。
and do not think that you can say among yourselves ‘Abraham is our ancestor,’ for I tell you that out of these very stones God is able to raise descendants for Abraham!
10 斧既に樹の根に置かれたり、故に総て善き果を結ばざる樹は伐られて火に投入れらるべし。
Already the axe is lying at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that fails to bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 我は改心の為に水にて汝等を洗すれども、我後に來り給ふ者は我よりも力あり、我は其履を執るにも足らず、彼は聖霊と火とにて汝等を洗し給ふべし。
I, indeed, baptize you with water to teach repentance; but he who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not fit even to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12 彼の手に箕ありて其禾場を浄め、麦は倉に納め、糠は消えざる火にて焼き給ふべし、と。
His winnowing-fan is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor, and store his grain in the barn, but the chaff he will burn with inextinguishable fire.”
13 第二款 キリスト自身の豫備 此時イエズス、ヨハネに洗せられんとて、ガリレアよりヨルダン[河]に來り給ひしかば、
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan, to John, to be baptized by him.
14 ヨハネ辞して云ひけるは、我こそ汝に洗せらるべきに、汝我に來り給ふか。
But John tried to prevent him. “It is I,” he said, “who need to be baptized by you; why then do you come to me?”
15 イエズス答へて曰ひけるは、姑く其を許せ、斯く我等が正しき事を、悉く遂ぐるは當然なればなり、と。是に於てヨハネ是に許ししかば、
“Let it be so for the present,” Jesus answered, “since it is fitting for us thus to satisfy every claim of religion.” Upon this, John consented.
16 イエズス洗せられて直に水より上り給ひしが、折しも天彼の為に開け、神の霊鳩の如く降りて我上に來り給ふを見給へり、
After the baptism of Jesus, and just as he came up from the water, the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending, like a dove, and alighting upon him,
17 折しも又天より聲ありて、「是ぞ我心を安んぜる我愛子なる」と云へり。
and from the heavens there came a voice which said: “This is my son, the Beloved, in whom I delight.”
