Matthew 3
1 While [Jesus was still in Nazareth town], John, [whom the people called] the Baptizer, went to a desolate place in Judea [district].
Ce tloek awh Baptisma ak pekung Johan ce law nawh, Judah qamkoh awh awi kqawn hy,
2 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].”
Zut lah uh khawk khan ram taw zoe hawh hy”, tinawh kqawn hy.
3 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!]
Veni tawngha Isaiah ing anak kqawn paicai hy: “Ramkoh awh ak khy awi ing, 'Bawipa lam ce qoek abah unawh, a lamkhqi ce dyng sak lah uh', tinawh anak kqawn ce.
4 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.
Johan ing kala-uk myi hi ce bai nawh, ak cawi ce savyn taisawm ing zen nawh, khamkhawk ingkaw khawitui ce buh a an na ai hy.
5 [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].
Anih a venawh Jerusalem khawk thlangkhqi, Judah qam awhkaw thlangkhqi boeih ce cet uhy.
6 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.
Ami thawlhnaakkhqi ce kqawn unawh, anih a baptisma ce hu uhy.
7 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]
Cehlai, baptisma a peeknaak kung awh Farasikhqi ingkaw Sadusikhqi thlang khawzah amik law ce a huh awh, ami venawh, “Aw khqui a cadilkhqi, kawsonaak ak law hly ce centaak aham u ing nu anik kqawn peek khqi?
8 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]}.
Zut doena qah phaat lah uh.
9 [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].’
Ka mi pa Abaraham ta u nyng kaw, tinawh koeh poek uh; ka nik kqawn peek khqi, Khawsa ing vawhkaw lungkhqi ve Abaraham a cakhqi na coeng sak thai hy.
10 [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].”
Thingkung boeih awh hqaica toen hyt na awm hawh nawh; ak thaih leek amak qah thingkungkhqi boeih taw hlu kawmsaw, mai awh phum kaw.
11 “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)
Kai ing tui ngawh zutnaak baptisma ce ni pek khqi nyng; cehlai kai a huawh ak law cetaw kai anglakawh bau khqoet hy, kai taw anih a khawmyk ak pawm peek aham za am tyng nyng; anih ingtaw Ciim Myihla ingkaw mai ing baptisma ce ni pek khqi kaw.
12 [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].”
A kut awh cang zahnaak khqa ce pawm kawmsaw, caang ce ak caih cana zap kaw, ang tak ce tep khuiawh chan kawmsaw ang hi taw amak thi thai qoe mai awh phum kaw tina hy.
13 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}.
Cawh Jesu taw Kalili qam awhkawng Johan a baptisma huh aham Jordan long na law hy.
14 [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]?)”
Cehlai Johan ing tha na hy, “kai ing ni nang a baptisma huh aham ka ngaih hlai, kawtih kai a venna na law lat?” tina hy.
15 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.
Jesu ing a venawh, “Tuh sai mai, cawh ni ningnih aham dyngnaak boeih boeih a cup hly”, tina hy.
16 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.
Jesu ing Baptisma a huh coengawh, tui awhkawng cet hy. Cawh khawk khan ce anih aham awng qu nawh, Khawsa Myihla ce khqukkhqu amyihna ak khan awh ang cuk peek ce huhy.
17 Then [God] [SYN] spoke from heaven, saying, “This is my Son. I love him. I am very pleased with him.”
Cawhtaw khan nakawng, “ve ve ka lungnaak ka Capa, ka ym soeih soeih ni”, tinawh awi ce law hy.
