¹And in those days cometh John the Baptist, proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea,

¹Siku hizo Yohane Mbatizaji alitokea, akaanza kuhubiri katika jangwa la Yudea:

²and saying, `Reform, for come nigh hath the reign of the heavens,`

²"Tubuni, maana Ufalme wa mbinguni umekaribia."

³for this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, `A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, straight make ye His paths.`

³Huyu Yohane ndiye yule ambaye nabii Isaya alinena juu yake aliposema: "Sauti ya mtu imesikika jangwani: Mtayarishieni Bwana njia yake, nyoosheni vijia vyake."

⁴And this John had his clothing of camel`s hair, and a girdle of skin round his loins, and his nourishment was locusts and honey of the field.

⁴Yohane alivaa vazi lililoshonwa kwa manyoya ya ngamia, na ukanda wa ngozi kiunoni mwake. Chakula chake kilikuwa nzige na asali ya mwituni.

⁵Then were going forth unto him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about the Jordan,

⁵Basi, watu kutoka Yerusalemu, kutoka mkoa wote wa Yudea na sehemu zote za kandokando ya mto Yordani, walimwendea,

⁶and they were baptized in the Jordan by him, confessing their sins.

⁶wakaziungama dhambi zao, naye akawabatiza katika mto Yordani.

⁷And having seen many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming about his baptism, he said to them, `Brood of vipers! who did shew you to flee from the coming wrath?

⁷Lakini alipowaona Mafarisayo wengi na Masadukayo wanamjia ili awabatize, aliwaambia, "Enyi kizazi cha nyoka! Ni nani aliyewadokezea kwamba mnaweza kuiepuka ghadhabu inayokuja?

⁸bear, therefore, fruits worthy of the reformation,

⁸Onyesheni basi kwa matendo, kwamba mmetubu kweli.

⁹and do not think to say in yourselves, A father we have — Abraham, for I say to you, that God is able out of these stones to raise children to Abraham,

⁹Msidhani kwamba mtaweza kujitetea kwa kusema, Baba yetu ni Abrahamu! Nawaambieni hakika, Mungu anaweza kuyafanya mawe haya yawe watoto wa Abrahamu.

¹⁰and now also, the axe unto the root of the trees is laid, every tree therefore not bearing good fruit is hewn down, and to fire is cast.

¹⁰Basi, shoka liko tayari kuikata mizizi ya miti; hivyo, kila mti usiozaa matunda mazuri, utakatwa na kutupwa motoni.

¹¹`I indeed do baptize you with water to reformation, but he who after me is coming is mightier than I, of whom I am not worthy to bear the sandals, he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire,

¹¹Mimi ninawabatizeni kwa maji kuonyesha kwamba mmetubu. Lakini yule anayekuja baada yangu ana uwezo kuliko mimi. Mimi sistahili hata kubeba viatu vyake. Yeye atawabatizeni kwa Roho Mtakatifu na kwa moto.

¹²whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor, and will gather his wheat to the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.`

¹²Yeye anashika mkononi chombo cha kupuria nafaka, ili aipure nafaka yake; akusanye ngano ghalani, na makapi ayachome kwa moto usiozimika."

¹³Then cometh Jesus from Galilee upon the Jordan, unto John to be baptized by him,

¹³Wakati huo Yesu alitoka Galilaya akafika katika mto Yordani, akamwendea Yohane ili abatizwe naye.

¹⁴but John was forbidding him, saying, `I have need by thee to be baptized — and thou dost come unto me!`

¹⁴Lakini Yohane alijaribu kumzuia akisema, "Je, wewe unakuja kwangu? Mimi hasa ndiye ninayehitaji kubatizwa nawe."

¹⁵But Jesus answering said to him, `Suffer now, for thus it is becoming to us to fulfill all righteousness,` then he doth suffer him.

¹⁵Lakini Yesu akamjibu, "Acha tu iwe hivyo kwa sasa, maana kwa namna hii inafaa tuyatekeleze yale yote Mungu anayotaka." Hapo Yohane akakubali.

¹⁶And having been baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water, and lo, opened to him were the heavens, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him,

¹⁶Mara tu Yesu alipokwisha batizwa, alitoka majini; na ghafla mbingu zikafunguka, akaona Roho wa Mungu akishuka kama njiwa na kutua juu yake.

¹⁷and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, `This is My Son — the Beloved, in whom I did delight.`

¹⁷Sauti kutoka mbinguni ikasema, "Huyu ndiye Mwanangu mpendwa, nimependezwa naye."