Matio 3
1 Ary tamin’ izany andro izany dia niseho Jaona Mpanao batisa, nitory tany an-efitr’ i Jodia nanao hoe:
While [Jesus was still in Nazareth town], John, [whom the people called] the Baptizer, went to a desolate place in Judea [district].
2 Mibebaha ianareo; fa efa akaiky ny fanjakan’ ny lanitra.
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 Fa izy no ilay nampilazaina an’ Isaia mpaminany hoe: Injany! misy feon’ ny miantso mafy any an-efitra hoe: Amboary ny lalan’ i Jehovah, Ataovy mahitsy ny lalan-kalehany.
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 Ary ny fitafian’ izany Jaona izany dia lamba volon-drameva, ary fehin-kibo hoditra no tamin’ ny valahany; ary ny fihinany dia valala sy tantely remby.
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 Ary Jerosalema sy Jodia rehetra mbamin’ ny tany rehetra amoron’ i i Jordana dia nivoaka nankany amin’ i Jaona,
[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 ka nataony batisa tao amin’ ny ony Jordana ireny, rehefa niaiky ny fahotany.
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 Fa nony nahita ny Fariseo sy ny Sadoseo maro nanatona ny batisany izy, dia hoy izy taminy: Ry taranaky ny menarana, iza no nanoro hevitra anareo handositra ny fahatezerana ho avy?
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 Koa mamoaza voa miendrika ny fibebahana ianareo;
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 ary aza manao anakampo hoe: Manana an’ i Abrahama ho rainay izahay; fa lazaiko aminareo fa Andriamanitra mahay manangana zanaka ho an’ i Abrahama avy amin’ ireto vato ireto.
[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 Ary, indro, efa mipetraka eo amin’ ny fototry ny hazo sahady ny famaky; koa ny hazo rehetra izay tsy mamoa voa tsara dia hokapaina ka hatsipy any anaty afo.
[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 Izaho dia manao batisa anareo amin’ ny rano ho amin’ ny fibebahana; fa Ilay avy ao aoriako no mahery noho izaho, ka tsy miendrika hitondra ny kapany aza aho; Izy no hanao batisa anareo amin’ ny Fanahy Masìna sy ny afo;
“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 eny an-tànany ny fikororohany, ary Izy hanadio tsara ny eo am-pamoloany ka hanangona ny variny ho any an-tsompitra; fa ny akofa sy ny mololo hodorany amin’ ny afo tsy mety maty.
[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 Ary tamin’ izay Jesosy dia avy tany Galilia ka tonga teo amoron’ i Jordana, dia nanatona an’ i Jaona Izy mba hataony batisa.
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 Fa Jaona nandà Azy ka nanao hoe: Izaho no tokony hataonao batisa, ka Hianao indray va no mankaty amiko?
[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 Fa namaly Jesosy ka niteny taminy hoe: Ekeo ihany ankehitriny, fa izao no mety amintsika hahatanteraka ny fahamarinana rehetra. Ka dia nekeny Izy.
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 Ary raha vao natao batisa Jesosy, dia niakatra avy teo amin’ ny rano niaraka tamin’ izay Izy; ary, indro, nisokatra taminy ny lanitra, ary hitany ny Fanahin’ Andriamanitra nidina tahaka ny voromailala ka nankeo amboniny.
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 Ary, injao! nisy feo avy tany an-danitra nanao hoe: Ity no Zanako malalako Izay sitrako.
Then [God] [SYN] spoke from heaven, saying, “This is my Son. I love him. I am very pleased with him.”
