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].
Tua hun laitak in tuiphumpa John hong theng a, Judah ngam duisung ah thuhil hi,
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].”
John in, vantung kumpingam hong nai zo hi, na thinsung uh ki kheal in na mawna uh ki sikkik vun: ci hi.
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!]
Banghangziam cile hi thu sia, duisung ah a au mikhat i aw in, Topa pai na lampi pua vun, tangsak vun, ci kamsang Isaiah in John thu sonkhol zo hi.
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.
John i puansil sia kala-uk mul taw ki tak a, savun khau taw a kawng hen hi; ama an sia khaumaw le ngam khuaitui a hihi.
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].
Taciang Jerusalem pan ahizong, Judah ngam khua tatuam pan ahizong, Jordan ngun kiim theampo pan ahizong a kung ah hongpai tek uh hi.
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.
Amate mawna tek uh pualak in, Jordan ngun sung ah tui ki phum uh hi.
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]
Pharisee te le Sadducee te tui ki phum tu in hongpai John in a mu ciang in, maw no ngul suan te, hong theng pheang tu Pathian thin-ukna taisan tu in akua in kidop natu hong pia ziam?
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]}.
Mawna pan ki sikkikna taw a kilawm nga pha te nga tavun:
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 pa uh Abraham hi ci in na thin sung ah ngaisun heak vun: banghangziam cile, Pathian in hi suangtum te Abraham suan le pal in vawt thei hi, ci kong son hi.
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].”
Tu in thingkung te bul ah heipui ki ngat zo hi: tua ahikom nga pha a nga ngawl thingkung sia phuk tu a, mei sung ah bum hi.
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)
Kei ka hile mawna ki sikkik na in tui kong phum hi: ahihang ka nung pan hongpai pa sia kei sang in vanglian zaw a, a peangdap toaisak tu zong ka kilawm bua hi: Ama in Tha Thiangtho le mei taw tuiphumna hong pia tuh hi:
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 khut sung ah tangkheaplaw toai in, tangzap tu hi, taang tang teng beamsung ah thun tu a, tangsi te sia a mit thei ngawl mei taw hal tu hi.
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}.
Tua laitak in Jesus sia Galilee pan Jordan ngun ah tui ki phum tu in John kung ah hongpai hi.
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]?)”
Ahihang John in ama tho a, Keima sia nangma i nong tuiphum tu hizaw napi, kei kung ah nang hongpai zaw ni ziam? ci hi.
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.
Tasiaciang Jesus in Tu hile hibang hi phot hen, banghangziam cile thutang suana theampo a kicin kul hi, ci hi. Taciang John zong thukim hi.
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.
Jesus tui a kiphum zawk pociang tui sung pan hong pusuak to hi: taciang en vun, van ki hong in, Pathian Thaa sia vakhu bang hong tuaksuk in a tung ah a tawl nga, John in mu hi:
17 Then [God] [SYN] spoke from heaven, saying, “This is my Son. I love him. I am very pleased with him.”
Taciang van pan in aw khat in, Hisia in ka it ka Tapa a hihi, ama tung ah ka lungkim hi, ci hi.
