San Mateo 3
1 Tiempo después, apareció en escena Juan el Bautista, predicando en el desierto de Judea:
While [Jesus was still in Nazareth town], John, [whom the people called] the Baptizer, went to a desolate place in Judea [district].
2 “Arrepiéntanse, porque el reino de los cielos está cerca”.
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 Él era de quien hablaba el profeta Isaías cuando dijo: “Se oye una voz que clama en el desierto: ‘preparen el camino del Señor. Enderecen la senda para él’”.
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 Juan tenía ropas hechas con pelo de camello, con un cinturón de cuero puesto en su cintura. Su alimento era langostas y miel silvestre.
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 La gente venía a él desde Jerusalén, de toda Judea y de toda la región del Jordán,
[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 y eran bautizados en el río Jordán, reconociendo públicamente sus pecados.
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 Pero cuando Juan vio que muchos de los fariseos y saduceos venían a ser bautizados, les dijo: “¡Camada de víboras! ¿Quién les advirtió que huyeran del juicio que vendrá?
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 Muestren a través de sus actos que están verdaderamente arrepentidos,
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 y no se jacten de decirse a ustedes mismos: ‘Abraham es nuestro padre’. Les digo que Dios podría convertir estas piedras en hijos de Abraham.
[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 De hecho, el hacha está lista para derribar los árboles. Todo árbol que no produce buen fruto, será derribado y lanzado al fuego.
[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 “Sí, yo los bautizo en agua para mostrar arrepentimiento, pero después de mi viene uno que es más grande que yo. Yo no soy siquiera digno de quitar sus sandalias. Él los bautizará con el Espíritu Santo y con fuego.
“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 Él tiene el aventador listo en su mano. Limpiará la era y almacenará el trigo en el granero, pero quemará la paja en el fuego que no se puede apagar”.
[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 Luego Jesús vino desde Galilea hasta el Río Jordán para ser bautizado por Juan.
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 Pero Juan trató de hacerlo cambiar de opinión, diciendo, “Yo soy quien necesito ser bautizado por ti, ¿y tu vienes a mí para que yo te bautice?”
[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 “Por favor, hazlo, porque es bueno que hagamos lo que Dios dice que es correcto”, le dijo Jesús. Entonces Juan estuvo de acuerdo en hacerlo.
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 Justo después de haber sido bautizado, Jesús salió del agua. Los cielos se abrieron y él vio al Espíritu de Dios como una paloma que descendía, posándose sobre él.
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 Entonces una voz desde el cielo dijo: “este es mi hijo a quien amo, el cual me complace”.
Then [God] [SYN] spoke from heaven, saying, “This is my Son. I love him. I am very pleased with him.”
