The Preaching of John the Baptist
(Matthew 3.1-12Mark 1.1-8John 1.19-28)1 It was the fifteenth year of the rule of Emperor Tiberius; Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip was ruler of the territory of Iturea and Trachonitis; Lysanias was ruler of Abilene, 2 and Annas and Caiaphas were High Priests. At that time the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. 3 So John went throughout the whole territory of the Jordan River, preaching, “Turn away from your sins and be baptized, and God will forgive your sins.” 4 As it is written in the book of the prophet Isaiah:
“Someone is shouting in the desert:
‘Get the road ready for the Lord;
make a straight path for him to travel!
5 Every valley must be filled up,
every hill and mountain leveled off.
The winding roads must be made straight,
and the rough paths made smooth.
6 The whole human race will see God's salvation!’”
7 Crowds of people came out to John to be baptized by him. “You snakes!” he said to them. “Who told you that you could escape from the punishment God is about to send? 8 Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins. And don't start saying among yourselves that Abraham is your ancestor. I tell you that God can take these rocks and make descendants for Abraham! 9 The ax is ready to cut down the trees at the roots; every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown in the fire.”
10 The people asked him, “What are we to do, then?”
11 He answered, “Whoever has two shirts must give one to the man who has none, and whoever has food must share it.”
12 Some tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what are we to do?”
13 “Don't collect more than is legal,” he told them.
14 Some soldiers also asked him, “What about us? What are we to do?”
He said to them, “Don't take money from anyone by force or accuse anyone falsely. Be content with your pay.”
15 People's hopes began to rise, and they began to wonder whether John perhaps might be the Messiah. 16 So John said to all of them, “I baptize you with water, but someone is coming who is much greater than I am. I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 He has his winnowing shovel with him, to thresh out all the grain and gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn the chaff in a fire that never goes out.”
18 In many different ways John preached the Good News to the people and urged them to change their ways. 19 But John reprimanded Governor Herod, because he had married Herodias, his brother's wife, and had done many other evil things. 20 Then Herod did an even worse thing by putting John in prison.
The Baptism of Jesus
(Matthew 3.13-17Mark 1.9-11)21 After all the people had been baptized, Jesus also was baptized. While he was praying, heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit came down upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my own dear Son. I am pleased with you.”
The Ancestors of Jesus
(Matthew 1.1-17)23 When Jesus began his work, he was about thirty years old. He was the son, so people thought, of Joseph, who was the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Kenan, 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Johani we N'dubiki unolulwamisa zila
(Matewu 3:1-12Mako 1:1-8Johani 1:19-28)1 Kwakati mu gole le bugumi lina makole mashanu le bushe gwa Tibheriyasi (Mambo we Roma) misi ya Pontiyo Pilato ali nlauli we Judiya, she Herode wakabe ebusa mu ntuthu we Galili. Nnung'una uwe Filipo, ali she we mituthu ye Itureya ne Tirakonitisi, Lisaniyasi iye ali she we Abhileni, 2 mu misi iyeyo ya Anasi na Kaifasi bali Batungamili be bapirisiti, Ndzimu ukalebeleka na Johani nkololo wa Zakhariya mu tjilambanyika. 3 Johani kayenda mu ntuthu wose upejo ne Jorodani, esumikila kuti bathu bashandukile matjinyo abo badubikwe ili tjilakidzo tje kuti bazwiibhatigwa zwibi zwabo. 4 Sekwa kwakakwagwa mu lukwalo gwa Isaya nlebesambeli kuyi,
“Hwi le unodanilila mu tjilambanyika eti,
‘Lulwamisani zila ya She,
tambunudzani zijana dzidze.
5 Nkuku mmwe ne mmwe unowovukidziwa,
dombo ne duthu limwe ne limwe lowodusiwa.
Zila dzakakombama
dzowotambunudziwa,
zila dzina mabundo ne makorokoro dzowolobegwa
6 ne bathu bose banowobona jidzo le Ndzimu.’ ”
7 Johani kadwa mibunga ye bathu bakabe bezha kuwodubikwa ndiye eti, “Bana be nyoka ndimwi! Ndiani wamutjenjedza, kuti mutizhe bushongola gunozha kene? 8 Shingani mishingo inolakidza kuti makashandukila matjinyo enyu. Ngono musitongo tangisa kuzwidwa muti, ‘Iswi ti bana ba Abhurahama.’ Ndomudwa nditi Ndzimu unotubula kuthamila Abhurahama bana nge mabgwe iyawa. 9 Nangwenu wali, shathu lakabigwa kale pa midzi ye miti, ndizo nti mmwe ne mmwe usingazwale zwizwalo zwakalulwama, unowotemiwa ukalashigwa mu moto.”
10 Mbunga we bathu ukambhuzwa ukati, “Tishingeni ngono?”
11 Johani kashandula eti, “Iye una yempe mbili ngaakobane ne usina ne una zojiwa ngaathame sa ikokobo.”
12 Bakhethisi na ibobo bakazha kuwodubikiwa. Ngono bakabhuzwa beti, “N'diyi, tishingeni?”
13 Kabashandula eti, “Musitole lukhetho gunopinda kwamalauligwa.”
14 Ipapo babhayani bakambhuzwa beti, “Ngono iswike, tishingeni?”
Kadabila kati, “Mushete wamatolela mari nge kunkombeledza kene ngotjebela, shathilani ndipo yenyu.”
15 Bathu bakabe bakalindila nge kugalabgwe, bezwibhuzwa mu mimoyo yabo kuti kene Johani ungabe ali iye Mesiya. 16 Koga Johani kabadwa bose kati, “Imi ndomudubika nge vula, koga kowozha iye una masimba kundipinda, wandisakalizana kusunungula mitjili ye khwebana dzidze. Iye unowomudubika nge Meya yakayengemala nenge moto. 17 Luselo gugwe gumu luboko gugwe, kuwulusa mathunde awe wose mu lutombo kuabiga mu dula lile, koga unowopisa bunye nge moto usingadzimike.”
18 Ngono Johani kalaya bathu nge zila njinji, esumikila ndebo mbuya ku bali. 19 Koga Johani kati etjemela she Herode ngekwa Herodiyasi nkadzi we nnung'una uwe, mu na zose zwithu zwakabipa zwaakashinga, 20 Herode kapapha bubi igogu nge kuzhalilila Johani mu ng'umba ye busungwa.
Kudubikwa kwa Jesu
(Matewu 3:13-17Mako 1:9-11)21 Kukati bathu bose badubikwa, Jesu kadubikiwabo. Ngono Jesu kati etembezela, kudzimu kukazhuka, 22 Meya yakayengemala ikadelukila pezhugwi kukwe ili mu mbumbiko ye njiba. Ngono hwi likadwa kudzimu liti, “Iwe u Nkololo wangu wandinoda, unondishathisa kwazo.”
Bobatategulu ba Jesu
(Matewu 1:1-17)23 Kwakati Jesu etangisa nshingo uwe, wakabe ana makole angabe makumi matatu. Kwakabe kuyi nkololo wa Josefa, Josefa ali nkololo wa Heli, 24 Heli ali nkololo wa Matati, Matati ali nkololo wa Levi, Levi ali nkololo wa Meliki, Meliki ali nkololo wa Janai, Janai ali nkololo wa Josefa, 25 Josefa ali nkololo wa Matatiyasi, Matatiyasi ali nkololo wa Amosi, Amosi ali nkololo wa Nahumi, Nahumi ali nkololo wa Esili, Esili ali nkololo wa Nagai, 26 Nagai ali nkololo wa Maati, Maati ali nkololo wa Matatiyasi, Matatiyasi ali nkololo wa Semeini, Semeini ali nkololo wa Joseki, Joseki ali nkololo wa Joda, 27 Joda ali nkololo wa Jowanani, Jowanani ali nkololo wa Resa, Resa ali nkololo wa Zerubhabeli, Zerubhabeli ali nkololo wa Sheyalitiyele, Sheyalitiyele ali nkololo wa Neri, 28 Neri ali nkololo wa Meliki, Meliki ali nkololo wa Adi, Adi ali nkololo wa Kosamu, Kosamu ali nkololo wa Elimadamu, Elimadamu ali nkololo wa Eri, 29 Eri ali nkololo wa Joshuwa, Joshuwa ali nkololo wa Eliyeza, Eliyeza ali nkololo wa Jorimu, Jorimu ali nkololo wa Matati, Matati ali nkololo wa Levi, 30 Levi ali nkololo wa Simiyoni, Simiyoni ali nkololo wa Juda, Juda ali nkololo wa Josefa, Josefa ali nkololo wa Jonamu, Jonamu ali nkololo wa Eliyakimu, 31 Eliyakimu ali nkololo wa Meleya, Meleya ali nkololo wa Mena, Mena ali nkololo wa Matata, Matata ali nkololo wa Nathani, Nathani ali nkololo wa Dafite, 32 Dafite ali nkololo wa Jesi, Jesi ali nkololo wa Obhedi, Obhedi ali nkololo wa Bhoazi, Bhoazi ali nkololo wa Salimoni, Salimoni ali nkololo wa Nashoni, 33 Nashoni ali nkololo wa Aminadabhu, Aminadabhu ali nkololo wa Adimini, Adimini ali nkololo wa Arini, Arini ali nkololo wa Hezironi, Hezironi ali nkololo wa Perezi, Perezi ali nkololo wa Juda, 34 Juda ali nkololo wa Jakubo, Jakubo ali nkololo wa Isaki, Isaki ali nkololo wa Abhurahama, Abhurahama ali nkololo wa Tera, Tera ali nkololo wa Nahori, 35 Nahori ali nkololo wa Serugu, Serugu ali nkololo wa Reu, Reu ali nkololo wa Pelegi, Pelegi ali nkololo wa Ebheri, Ebheri ali nkololo wa Shela, 36 Shela ali nkololo wa Kainani, Kainani ali nkololo wa Afakisadi, Afakisadi ali nkololo wa Shemu, Shemu ali nkololo wa Nuwa, Nuwa ali nkololo wa Lameki, 37 Lameki ali nkololo wa Metusela, Metusela ali nkololo wa Enoki, Enoki ali nkololo wa Jaredi, Jaredi ali nkololo wa Mahalaleli, Mahalaleli ali nkololo wa Kainani, 38 Kainani ali nkololo wa Enoshi, Enoshi ali nkololo wa Seti, Seti ali nkololo wa Adamu, Adamu ali nkololo we Ndzimu.