Matiu 3
1 Ana knafina mono ti frezmante Joni'a, Judia kaziga ka'ma mopafi ne-eno amanage huno Anumzamofo ke huama huno zamasmi'ne.
While [Jesus was still in Nazareth town], John, [whom the people called] the Baptizer, went to a desolate place in Judea [district].
2 Kefozantamigu tamasunke huta tamagu'a rukrehe hiho. Na'ankure mona kuma'mo'a hago tava'o nehie.
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 Na'ankure korapa ama'na kegu kasnampa ne' Aisaia'a Joninku anagea hu'ne, Mago ageru'mo ka'ma mopafinti kezatino, Ramofo kana varinenteta, agri kana eri ante fatgo hiho hu'ne! (Ais 40:3)
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!]
4 Joni'a kemori azokateti trohunte kena masi'neno, trazama nenaza afu'mofo akruteti amu'nofira nehuno, kenu'ene, afi' tumemofo rima'ane ne'ne.
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 Anante Jerusalemi kumate vahemo'zane, Judia kazigati ene, ana mika Jodani kazigati vahe'mo'zane mika eri hantage'za Joninte etere hazageno,
[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 Joni'a Jodani timpi huama kumi'zmi hutere nehazageno, mono ti fre zamante'ne.
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 Hianagi agrama kege'za hakare'a Farisi vahe'ene, Sadusi vahe'ma mono ti frekure hu'za ageno, Joni'a anage huno zamasmi'ne, tamagra ha' osifavemofo mofavre nagare, aza tmasmino amuma ne-ea Anumzamofo rimpahe zampintira fregahaze huno tamasami'ne.
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 Ana hu'nagu raga rentenkeno, tamagu'a rukrehe hunaze huno tamage'za sena,
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 hagi Abrahamu'a nerfakita, tagra knare hu'none hutma osiho. Na'ankure nagrama tamagri'ma tamasamisuana, Anumzamo'a amne hanigeno ami havemo'a, Abrahamuna mofavre nagara fore humigahie.
[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 Meninena hago sasumemo'a mika zafa agafare kriri'neankino, hakare zafamo knare ragama reontesia zafaramina, antagino tevefi mate'vuno atregahie.
[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 Nagra amne tinteti mono tina fre nermantoe, tamagu'a rukrahe hanazegu, hianagi Agra henkama ne-emo'a nagrira nagatereno hihamu'ane ne' egahie, hige'na nagra Agri aganona (sendol) erizafiga osu'noe. Ruotge Avamuteti'ene tevenu'ene Agra mono tina fre ramantegahie.
“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 Witi ne'za eri atru hania kna hago atupa nehigeno, Agra vazihehehu azota azampi erino mani'ne. Hanki witi akru hare kuma eri hagro nehuno, anampinti nena'a zogirino erino nompi Agra ome nenteno, hona'a tevava tevefi krenkeno tegahie.
[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 Anante Jisasi'a Galiliti atreno Joni mono ti frente'snie huno Jodani tinte e'ne.
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 Hianagi Joni'a tima Agri'ma frente'zankura i'o nehuno, Kagra, nagrira tina fre nantesankeno knarera hugahie, hianagi Kagra nagritega neano?
[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 Hianagi Jisasi'a ke nona'a Jonina asmino, Menina amne fre nantegahane, na'ankure tagrati'a e'inama hanu'ana fatgo avu'avaza hugahue, higeno Joni'a Agri ke antahino,
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 mono tima frentegeno, Jisasi'a ana timpinti ame huno otino ankenarega mrerino ne-egeno, monamo hagro nehigeno, keana Anumzamofo Avamu'mo maho nama'gna huno akoheno eramino Jisasinte emani'ne.
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 Higeno, monafinkati mago ageru'mo huno, Ama'i Nagrama avesinento'a magoke Mofavreni'agi'na Nagra tusi'a muse Agrira hunentoe.
Then [God] [SYN] spoke from heaven, saying, “This is my Son. I love him. I am very pleased with him.”
