Matayo 3
1 Mu magono ghala Yohana Mbatizaji ahidili akihubiri mu nyika j'ha Yuda akajha ijobha,
While [Jesus was still in Nazareth town], John, [whom the people called] the Baptizer, went to a desolate place in Judea [district].
2 “Mtubuayi kwa maana bhufalme bhwa mbinguni bhwikaribila.”
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 Kwa ndabha oj'ho ndo j'haananibhu nu nabii Isaya ajobhili, “sauti j'ha munu j'haikutibhwa kuhoma jangwani; 'mubhekai tayari nj'hela j'ha Bwana, mughanyosiaghe mapito ghake.”
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 Henu Yohana afuele maj'hoj'ha gha ngamia ni nkanda ghwa ngosi mu nsana ghwake kyakulya kiake kyaj'hele nzige ni bhuoki bhwa munsitu.
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 Kisha Yerusalemu, Yuda j'hioha, ni lieneo lyoha lyalisyonguiki kiholo Yorodani bhalotili kwa muene.
[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 Bhaj'hele bhibatisibhwa nu muene mu kuh'olo Yorodani khoni bhitubu dhambi syabho.
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 Lakini bhoabhabhuene bhingi bha mafarisayo ni masadukayo bhihida kwa muene kubatisibhwa, abhajobhili, “Muenga bhuzao bhwa liyoka bhwabhuj'ha ni sumu niani j'ha abhaonyili kuj'hijumba ghadhabu j'haj'hihida?
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 Muhogolai matunda ghaipasyayo toba.
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 Na msifiriri ni kujobhesana miongoni mwinu, 'Tuj'henaku Ibrahimu kama tata j'hitu.' Kwa kujha nikabhajobhela K'yara ibhwesya kun'jhinula Ibrahimu bhana hata kuhoma mu maganga agha.
[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 Tayari libhangu limalili kubhekibhwa mu mzizi bhwa libehe. Kwa ejhu kila libehe lyalibelili kuhogola matunda manofu lidumulibhwa ni kutaghibhwa mu muoto.
[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 Nikabhabatisya kwa masi kwa nj'ela j'ha toba. Lakini muene ibetakubhabatisya kwa Roho Mtakatifu ni kwa muoto.
“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 Ni pepeto lyake lijhele mmabhoko mwa muene kusuka kabisa bhuwanda bhuake ni kuj'hibhongana ngano j'hiake mu lighala. Lakini ibetakughanyanya makapi kwa muoto ambabho bhwibhwesya lepi kusimika.
[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 Kisha Yesu akahida kuhoma Galilaya mpaka kih'olo Yorodani kubatisibhwa ni Yohana.
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 Lakini Yohana alondeghe kum'besya akajobha, “Nene nilonda kubatisibhwa naghwe, bhebhe ghwihida kwa nene?”
[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 Yesu an'jibili akajobha, “Ruhusuayi ej'helai naha henu, kwa kuj'ha ndo kya j'hikatulondeka kutimisya haki j'hioha.” Kisha Yohana akanduhusu.
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 Baada j'ha kuj'ha abatisibhu, mara Yesu abhokili mmasi, ni langai, Mbingu syafunguiuki kwa muene. Na ambuene Roho ghwa K'yara kyaiselela kwa mfano ghwa nj'hebha ni kut'ola panani pa muene.
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 Langai, sauti j'hah'omili kumbinguni j'hikawa j'hijobha, “Oj'ho ndo mwanabhangu. J'hanipendesibhu sana naku.”
Then [God] [SYN] spoke from heaven, saying, “This is my Son. I love him. I am very pleased with him.”
