¹In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

¹Pamazuva iwayo kwakauya Johwani Mubhabhatidzi, achiparidza murenje reJudhiya,

²And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

²achiti: Tendeukai; nekuti ushe hwematenga hwaswedera.

³For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

³Nekuti uyu ndiye wakarehwa nezvake naIsaya muporofita, achiti: Inzwi reanodanidzira murenje: Gadzirirai mugwagwa waIshe, ruramisai nzira dzake.

⁴And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

⁴Iyezve Johwani waiva nechipfeko chake chemakushe ekamera nebhanhire rechikumba rakapoteredza chiuno chake; nechikafu chake chaiva mhashu neuchi hwedondo.

⁵Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

⁵Zvino kwakabudira kwaari Jerusarema neJudhiya rose nedunhu rose rakapoteredza Joridhani;

⁶And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁶vakabhabhatidzwa naye muna Joridhani vachireurura zvivi zvavo.

⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

⁷Asi wakati achiona vazhinji vevaFarisi nevaSadhusi vachiuya kurubhabhatidzo rwake akati kwavari: Zvizvarwa zvenyoka, ndiani wakakutaridzirai kuti mutize hasha dzinouya?

⁸Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

⁸Naizvozvo berekai zvibereko zvakafanira kutendeuka.

⁹And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

⁹Musafunga kutaura mukati menyu muchiti: Tina Abhurahamu anova baba; nekuti ndinoti kwamuri: Mwari anokwanisa kubva pamabwe awa kumutsira Abhurahamu vana.

¹⁰And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

¹⁰Uye sanhuwo ratoiswa pamudzi wemiti, naizvozvo muti umwe neumwe usingabereki zvibereko zvakanaka unotemwa ugokandirwa mumoto.

¹¹I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

¹¹Ini zvirokwazvo ndinokubhabhatidzai nemvura mupinde mukutendeuka; asi uyo anouya shure kwangu ane simba kupfuura ini, wandisina kufanira kutakura shangu dzake; iye uchakubhabhatidzai neMweya Mutsvene nemoto.

¹²Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

¹²Une rusero rwuri muruoko rwake, uchachenesa buriro rake kwazvo, agounganidzira zviyo zvake mudura, asi hundi uchaipisa nemoto usingadzimiki.

¹³Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

¹³Ipapo Jesu wakabva Garirea akasvika paJoridhani kuna Johwani, kuti abhabhatidzwe naye.

¹⁴But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

¹⁴Asi Johwani wakamurambidza achiti: Ini kunodikamwa kuti ndibhabhatidzwa nemwi, asi imwi mouya kwandiri?

¹⁵And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

¹⁵Asi Jesu achipindura wakati kwaari: Tenda ikozvino, nekuti saizvozvo zvakatifanira kuti tizadzise kururama kose. Ipapo akamutendera.

¹⁶And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

¹⁶Asi Jesu, wakati abhabhatidzwa, akakwira pakarepo achibva mumvura; zvino tarira, matenga akamuzarukira, akaona Mweya waMwari achiburuka senjiva, achiuya pamusoro pake.

¹⁷And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

¹⁷Zvino tarira, inzwi richibva kumatenga richiti: Uyu ndiye Mwanakomana wangu anodikamwa, wandinofara naye kwazvo.