ⳘⲀⲦⲐⲈⲞⲚ 3
About this time John the Baptist made his appearance, preaching in the Desert of Judaea.
"Repent," he said, "for the Kingdom of the Heavens is now close at hand."
3 ⲅ̅ ⲡⲁⲓ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁⲩϫⲟⲟϥ ϩⲓⲧⲛⲏⲥⲁⲓⲁⲥ ⲡⲉⲡⲣⲟⲫⲏⲧⲏⲥ ⲉϥϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ. ϫⲉ ⲧⲉⲥⲙⲏ ⲙⲡⲉⲧⲱϣ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲓⲡϫⲁⲓⲉ ϫⲉ ⲥⲃⲧⲉⲧⲉϩⲓⲏ ⲙⲡϫⲟⲉⲓⲥ ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲛⲥⲟⲟⲩⲧⲛ ⲛⲛⲉϥⲙⲁ ⲛⲙⲟⲟϣⲉ.
He it is who was spoken of through the Prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying aloud, 'In the desert prepare ye a road for the Lord: make His highway straight.'"
4 ⲇ̅ ⲛⲧⲟϥ ⲇⲉ ⲓⲱϩⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ ⲛⲉⲣⲉⲧⲉϥϩⲃⲥⲱ ϣⲟⲟⲡ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛϩⲉⲛⲃⲱ ⲛϭⲁⲙⲟⲩⲗ. ⲉⲣⲉⲟⲩⲙⲟϫϩ ⲛϣⲁⲁⲣ ϭⲟⲟⲗⲉ ⲉⲧⲉϥϯⲡⲉ. ⲧⲉϥϩⲣⲉ ⲇⲉ ⲛⲉϩⲉⲛϣϫⲉ ⲛⲉ ⲙⲛⲟⲩⲉⲃⲓⲉ ϩⲟⲟⲩⲧ.
This man John wore a garment of camel's hair, and a loincloth of leather; and he lived upon locusts and wild honey.
Then large numbers of people went out to him--people from Jerusalem and from all Judaea, and from the whole of the Jordan valley--
and were baptized by him in the Jordan, making full confession of their sins.
7 ⲍ̅ ⲛⲧⲉⲣⲉϥⲛⲁⲩ ⲇⲉ ⲉϩⲁϩ ϩⲛⲛⲉⲫⲁⲣⲓⲥⲥⲁⲓⲟⲥ ⲙⲛⲛⲥⲁⲇⲇⲟⲩⲕⲁⲓⲟⲥ ⲉⲩⲛⲏⲩ ⲉϫⲙⲡⲃⲁⲡⲧⲓⲥⲙⲁ ⲡⲉϫⲁϥ ⲛⲁⲩ. ϫⲉ ⲛⲉϫⲡⲟ ⲛⲛⲉϩⲃⲟⲩⲓ. ⲛⲓⲙ ⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁϥⲧⲥⲁⲃⲉⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ ⲉⲡⲱⲧ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲏⲧⲥ ⲛⲧⲟⲣⲅⲏ ⲉⲧⲛⲏⲩ.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he exclaimed, "O vipers' brood, who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Therefore let your lives prove your change of heart;
9 ⲑ̅ ⲛⲧⲉⲧⲛⲧⲙⲙⲉⲉⲩⲉ ⲉϫⲟⲟⲥ ⲛϩⲏⲧⲧⲏⲩⲧⲛ. ϫⲉ ⲟⲩⲛⲧⲁⲛ ⲙⲙⲁⲩ ⲙⲡⲉⲛⲉⲓⲱⲧ ⲁⲃⲣⲁϩⲁⲙ. ϯϫⲱ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ⲛⲏⲧⲛ ϫⲉ ⲟⲩⲛϭⲟⲙ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉⲧⲟⲩⲛⲉⲥϩⲉⲛϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲛⲁⲃⲣⲁϩⲁⲙ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛⲛⲉⲓⲱⲛⲉ.
and do not imagine that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our forefather,' for I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones.
10 ⲓ̅ ϫⲓⲛⲧⲉⲛⲟⲩ ⲇⲉ ⲡⲕⲉⲗⲉⲃⲓⲛ ⲕⲏ ϩⲁⲧⲛⲟⲩⲛⲉ ⲛⲛϣⲏⲛ. ϣⲏⲛ ϭⲉ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲉⲧⲉⲛϥⲛⲁⲉⲓⲣⲉ ⲁⲛ ⲛⲟⲩⲕⲁⲣⲡⲟⲥ ⲉⲛⲁⲛⲟⲩϥ ⲥⲉⲛⲁⲕⲟⲟⲣⲉϥ ⲛⲥⲉⲛⲟϫϥ ⲉⲧⲥⲁⲧⲉ.
And already the axe is lying at the root of the trees, so that every tree which does not produce good fruit will quickly be hewn down and thrown into the fire.
11 ⲓ̅ⲁ̅ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲙⲉⲛ ⲉⲓⲃⲁⲡⲧⲓⲍⲉ ⲙⲙⲱⲧⲛ ϩⲛⲟⲩⲙⲟⲟⲩ ⲉⲩⲙⲉⲧⲁⲛⲟⲓⲁ. ⲡⲉⲧⲛⲏⲩ ⲇⲉ ϥϫⲟⲟⲣ ⲉⲣⲟⲓ ⲡⲁⲓ ⲛϯⲙⲡϣⲁ ⲁⲛ ⲛϥⲓ ϩⲁⲡⲉϥⲧⲟⲟⲩⲉ. ⲛⲧⲟϥ ⲡⲉⲧⲛⲁⲃⲁⲡⲧⲓⲍⲉ ⲙⲙⲱⲧⲛ ϩⲛⲟⲩⲡⲛⲁ ⲉϥⲟⲩⲁⲁⲃ ⲙⲛⲟⲩⲥⲁⲧⲉ.
I indeed am baptizing you in water on a profession of repentance; but He who is coming after me is mightier than I: His sandals I am not worthy to carry for a moment; He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire.
12 ⲓ̅ⲃ̅ ⲡⲁⲓ ⲉⲧⲉⲣⲉⲡⲉϥϩⲁ ϩⲛⲧⲉϥϭⲓϫ ⲉϥⲛⲁⲧⲃⲃⲟ ⲙⲡⲉϥϫⲛⲟⲟⲩ. ⲛϥⲥⲱⲟⲩϩ ⲉϩⲟⲩⲛ ⲙⲡⲉϥⲥⲟⲩⲟ ⲉⲧⲁⲡⲟⲑⲏⲕⲏ. ⲡⲧⲱϩ ⲇⲉ ⲛϥⲣⲟⲕϩϥ ϩⲛⲟⲩⲥⲁⲧⲉ ⲉⲙⲉⲥⲱϣⲙ.
His winnowing-shovel is in His hand, and He will make a thorough clearance of His threshing-floor, gathering His wheat into the storehouse, but burning up the chaff in unquenchable fire."
Just at that time Jesus, coming from Galilee to the Jordan, presents Himself to John to be baptized by him.
John protested. "It is I," he said, "who have need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
15 ⲓ̅ⲉ̅ ⲁⲩⲟⲩⲱϣⲃ ⲇⲉ ⲛϭⲓⲓ̅ⲥ̅ ⲉϥϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ⲛⲁϥ. ϫⲉ ϭⲱ ⲧⲉⲛⲟⲩ. ⲧⲁⲓ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲧⲉ ⲑⲉ ⲉⲧⲉϣϣⲉ ⲉⲣⲟⲛ ⲉϫⲱⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲇⲓⲕⲁⲓⲟⲥⲩⲛⲏ ⲛⲓⲙ. ⲧⲟⲧⲉ ⲁϥⲕⲁⲁϥ.
"Let it be so on this occasion," Jesus replied; "for so we ought to fulfil every religious duty." Then he consented;
16 ⲓ̅ⲋ̅ ⲛⲧⲉⲣⲉϥⲃⲁⲡⲧⲓⲍⲉ ϭⲉ ⲛϭⲓⲓ̅ⲥ̅ ⲛⲧⲉⲩⲛⲟⲩ ⲁϥⲉⲓ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ϩⲙⲡⲙⲟⲟⲩ. ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲓⲥϩⲏⲏⲧⲉ ⲁⲩⲟⲩⲱⲛ ⲛϭⲓⲙⲡⲏⲩⲉ. ⲁϥⲛⲁⲩ ⲉⲡⲉⲡ̅ⲛ̅ⲁ̅ ⲙⲡⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉϥⲛⲏⲩ ⲉⲡⲉⲥⲏⲧ ⲛⲑⲉ ⲛⲟⲩϭⲣⲟⲟⲙⲡⲉ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲉϫⲱϥ.
and Jesus was baptized, and immediately went up from the water. At that moment the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him,
17 ⲓ̅ⲍ̅ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲉⲓⲥϩⲏⲏⲧⲉ ⲉⲓⲥⲟⲩⲥⲙⲏ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛⲙⲡⲏⲩⲉ ⲉⲥϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ. ϫⲉ ⲡⲁⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲁϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲡⲁⲙⲉⲣⲓⲧ ⲡⲉⲛⲧⲁⲡⲁⲟⲩⲱϣ ϣⲱⲡⲉ ϩⲣⲁⲓ ⲛϩⲏⲧϥ.
while a voice came from Heaven, saying, "This is My Son, the dearly loved, in whom is My delight."
