Mateo 3
1 Pamazuva iwayo kwakauya Johwani Mubhabhatidzi, achiparidza murenje reJudhiya,
While [Jesus was still in Nazareth town], John, [whom the people called] the Baptizer, went to a desolate place in Judea [district].
2 uye achiti: Tendeukai; nokuti ushe hwematenga hwaswedera.
He was preaching [to the people who came there]. He kept saying, “[You need to] turn away from your sinful behavior, because God [MET] will soon begin to rule [over people, and he will reject you if you do not turn away from your sinful life].”
3 Nokuti uyu ndiye wakarehwa nezvake naIsaya muporofita, achiti: Inzwi reanodanidzira murenje: Gadzirirai mugwagwa waIshe, ruramisai nzira dzake.
John was the person who [fulfilled] what was said by Isaiah the prophet {what Isaiah the prophet [predicted] when he said}, long ago: In a desolate area ([people will hear someone/someone will be heard]) shouting [to the people who pass by], Prepare [yourselves to receive] the Lord when he comes! [Make yourselves ready so that you will be prepared when he comes] [MET, DOU], just like people [improve and] straighten out the road [for an important official!]
4 Uyuwo Johwani waiva nechipfeko chake chemakushe ekamera nebhanhire rechikumba rakapoteredza chiuno chake; nekudya kwake kwaiva mhashu neuchi hwedondo.
John wore [coarse] clothing made from camel’s hair. And [as the prophet Elijah did long ago], he wore a leather belt around his waist. His food was [only] grasshoppers and honey [that he found] in that desolate area.
5 Zvino kwakabudira kwaari Jerusarema neJudhiya rese nedunhu rese rakapoteredza Joridhani;
[People who lived in] Jerusalem [city] [MTY], many [HYP] [people who lived in other places in] Judea [district] [MTY], and many [HYP] [people who lived in] the area around the Jordan [River] [MTY] came to John [to hear him preach].
6 ndokubhabhatidzwa naye muna Joridhani vachireurura zvivi zvavo.
After [they heard him tell them to turn away from their sinful behavior], they [openly] confessed their sins, and as a result they were baptized by John {John baptized them} in the Jordan River.
7 Asi wakati achiona vazhinji veVaFarisi neVaSadhusi vachiuya kurubhabhatidzo rwake akati kwavari: Zvizvarwa zvenyoka, ndiani wakakuratidzirai kuti mutize hasha dzinouya?
After John noted that many men of the Pharisee [religious group] and of the Sadducee [religious group] were coming [to him] to be baptized {in order that he would baptize them}, he said to them, “You people are [evil like poisonous] snakes [MET]! I warn you that God will some day punish [MTY] everyone who sins. (And do not think that you can escape from his punishing you [MTY] [if you do not turn from your sinful behavior]!/Did someone tell you that you can escape from his punishing you [MTY] [if you do not turn from your sinful behavior]?) [RHQ]
8 Naizvozvo berekai zvibereko zvakafanira kutendeuka.
Do what is appropriate [IDM] for people who have truly turned away from their sinful behavior [before you come to me in order to be baptized] {[that I baptize you]}.
9 Uye musafunga kutaura mukati menyu muchiti: Tina Abhurahama anova baba; nokuti ndinoti kwamuri: Mwari anokwanisa kubva pamabwe aya kumutsira Abhurahama vana.
[God promised to give Abraham many descendants. In order to fulfill that promise], God [does not need you! I] tell you that he can change these stones to make them descendants of Abraham. So do not start to say to yourselves, ‘Since we are descendants of [our ancestor] Abraham, [God will not punish us even though we have sinned].’
10 Uye ikozvinowo sanhu ratoiswa pamudzi wemiti, naizvozvo muti umwe neumwe usingaiti chibereko chakanaka unotemwa ugokandirwa mumoto.
[God is] ready [to punish you if you do not turn away from your sinful behavior, just like] a man who lays his axe at the roots of a [fruit] tree [in order to] chop it down and throw it into the fire if it does not produce good fruit [MET].”
11 Ini zvirokwazvo ndinokubhabhatidzai nemvura mupinde mukutendeuka; asi uyo anouya shure kwangu ane simba kupfuura ini, wandisina kufanira kutakura shangu dzake; iye achakubhabhatidzai neMweya Mutsvene nemoto.
“As for me, I [am not very important, because] I baptize you [only] with water. I [baptize you] because of your feeling sorry that you have sinned. But someone else will come soon who is very great; [he will do powerful deeds] (OR, [act powerfully]). [Because he is] superior to me, I am not worthy [even to do a menial task for him, such as] to carry his sandals. He will put [his] Holy Spirit [within] you [to truly change] the way you live [MET], and [he will judge others of you and punish you in] the fire [in hell]. (questioned)
12 Ane rusero rwuri muruoko rwake, uye achachenesa buriro rake kwazvo, ndokuunganidzira zviyo zvake mudura, asi hundi achaipisa nemoto usingadzimiki.
[He is like a farmer who wants to clear away the grain that is on the ground where it has been threshed] {[they have threshed it]}. [That farmer uses a] huge fork to throw the grain into the air [to separate the wheat from the chaff] [MET], and then he cleans up the threshing area. [Similarly], God will [separate righteous people from the evil people like a farmer who] gathers the wheat into his storage area, and then [God] will burn the [people who are like] chaff with a fire that will never be put out [MET].”
13 Ipapo Jesu wakabva Garirea akasvika paJoridhani kuna Johwani, kuti abhabhatidzwe naye.
During that time, Jesus went from Galilee [District] to the Jordan [River], where John was. [He did that] in order to be baptized by John {in order to ask that John would baptize him}.
14 Asi Johwani wakamurambidza achiti: Ini kunodikanwa kuti ndibhabhatidzwe nemwi, asi imwi mouya kwandiri?
[When Jesus asked John to baptize him], John objected, saying, “I need to be baptized by you {you to baptize me} [because you are superior to me. Since you are not a sinner], ([you(sg)] should not come to me [to be baptized by me] {[to ask that I baptize you(sg)]}!/why do you come to me [to be baptized by me] {[ask that I baptize you(sg)]} [RHQ]?)”
15 Asi Jesu achipindura wakati kwaari: Tenda ikozvino, nokuti saizvozvo zvakatifanira kuti tizadzise kururama kwese. Ipapo akamutendera.
But Jesus said to him, “Baptize me at this time, because in this way we [two] will do [everything that God] requires.” Then John consented to baptize him.
16 Asi Jesu, wakati abhabhatidzwa, akakwira pakarepo achibva mumvura; zvino tarira, matenga akamuzarukira, ndokuona Mweya waMwari achiburuka senjiva, achiuya pamusoro pake.
After he was baptized {John baptized Jesus}, Jesus immediately came up out of the water. Just then, [it was as though] the sky was opened {split apart}. Then [Jesus] saw God’s Spirit coming down upon him. He came in the form of a dove.
17 Zvino tarira, inzwi richibva kumatenga richiti: Uyu ndiye Mwanakomana wangu anodikanwa, wandinofara maari kwazvo.
Then [God] [SYN] spoke from heaven, saying, “This is my Son. I love him. I am very pleased with him.”
