mathiH 3
1 tadAnoM yohnnAmA majjayitA yihUdIyadezasya prAntaram upasthAya pracArayan kathayAmAsa,
About that time John the Baptist first appeared, proclaiming in the Wilderness of Judea:
2 manAMsi parAvarttayata, svargIyarAjatvaM samIpamAgatam|
“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
3 paramezasya panthAnaM pariSkuruta sarvvataH| tasya rAjapathAMzcaiva samIkuruta sarvvathA| ityetat prAntare vAkyaM vadataH kasyacid ravaH||
This is he who was spoken of in the Prophet Isaiah, where he says — ‘The voice of one crying aloud in the Wilderness: “Make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”’
4 etadvacanaM yizayiyabhaviSyadvAdinA yohanamuddizya bhASitam| yohano vasanaM mahAGgaromajaM tasya kaTau carmmakaTibandhanaM; sa ca zUkakITAn madhu ca bhuktavAn|
John wore clothing made of camels’ hair, with a belt of leather round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.
5 tadAnIM yirUzAlamnagaranivAsinaH sarvve yihUdidezIyA yarddantaTinyA ubhayataTasthAzca mAnavA bahirAgatya tasya samIpe
At that time Jerusalem, and all Judea, as well as the whole district of the Jordan, went out to him
6 svIyaM svIyaM duritam aGgIkRtya tasyAM yarddani tena majjitA babhUvuH|
and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 aparaM bahUn phirUzinaH sidUkinazca manujAn maMktuM svasamIpam Agacchto vilokya sa tAn abhidadhau, re re bhujagavaMzA AgAmInaH kopAt palAyituM yuSmAn kazcetitavAn?
When, however, John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to receive his baptism, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who has prompted you to seek refuge from the coming judgment?
8 manaHparAvarttanasya samucitaM phalaM phalata|
Let your life, then, prove your repentance;
9 kintvasmAkaM tAta ibrAhIm astIti sveSu manaHsu cIntayanto mA vyAharata| yato yuSmAn ahaM vadAmi, Izvara etebhyaH pASANebhya ibrAhImaH santAnAn utpAdayituM zaknoti|
and do not think that you can say among yourselves ‘Abraham is our ancestor,’ for I tell you that out of these very stones God is able to raise descendants for Abraham!
10 aparaM pAdapAnAM mUle kuThAra idAnImapi lagan Aste, tasmAd yasmin pAdape uttamaM phalaM na bhavati, sa kRtto madhye'gniM nikSepsyate|
Already the axe is lying at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that fails to bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 aparam ahaM manaHparAvarttanasUcakena majjanena yuSmAn majjayAmIti satyaM, kintu mama pazcAd ya Agacchati, sa mattopi mahAn, ahaM tadIyopAnahau voDhumapi nahi yogyosmi, sa yuSmAn vahnirUpe pavitra Atmani saMmajjayiSyati|
I, indeed, baptize you with water to teach repentance; but he who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not fit even to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12 tasya kAre sUrpa Aste, sa svIyazasyAni samyak prasphoTya nijAn sakalagodhUmAn saMgRhya bhANDAgAre sthApayiSyati, kiMntu sarvvANi vuSANyanirvvANavahninA dAhayiSyati|
His winnowing-fan is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing-floor, and store his grain in the barn, but the chaff he will burn with inextinguishable fire.”
13 anantaraM yIzu ryohanA majjito bhavituM gAlIlpradezAd yarddani tasya samIpam AjagAma|
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan, to John, to be baptized by him.
14 kintu yohan taM niSidhya babhASe, tvaM kiM mama samIpam Agacchasi? varaM tvayA majjanaM mama prayojanam Aste|
But John tried to prevent him. “It is I,” he said, “who need to be baptized by you; why then do you come to me?”
15 tadAnIM yIzuH pratyavocat; IdAnIm anumanyasva, yata itthaM sarvvadharmmasAdhanam asmAkaM karttavyaM, tataH so'nvamanyata|
“Let it be so for the present,” Jesus answered, “since it is fitting for us thus to satisfy every claim of religion.” Upon this, John consented.
16 anantaraM yIzurammasi majjituH san tatkSaNAt toyamadhyAd utthAya jagAma, tadA jImUtadvAre mukte jAte, sa IzvarasyAtmAnaM kapotavad avaruhya svoparyyAgacchantaM vIkSAJcakre|
After the baptism of Jesus, and just as he came up from the water, the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending, like a dove, and alighting upon him,
17 aparam eSa mama priyaH putra etasminneva mama mahAsantoSa etAdRzI vyomajA vAg babhUva|
and from the heavens there came a voice which said: “This is my son, the Beloved, in whom I delight.”
