¹وفي تلك الايام جاء يوحنا المعمدان يكرز في برية اليهودية.

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

²قائلا توبوا لانه قد اقترب ملكوت السموات.

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

³فان هذا هو الذي قيل عنه باشعياء النبي القائل صوت صارخ في البرية اعدوا طريق الرب. اصنعوا سبله مستقيمة.

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.`

⁴ويوحنا هذا كان لباسه من وبر الابل وعلى حقويه منطقة من جلد. وكان طعامه جرادا وعسلا بريا.

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.

⁵حينئذ خرج اليه اورشليم وكل اليهودية وجميع الكورة المحيطة بالاردن.

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

⁶واعتمدوا منه في الاردن معترفين بخطاياهم

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

⁷فلما رأى كثيرين من الفريسيين والصدوقيين ياتون الى معموديته قال لهم يا اولاد الافاعي من اراكم ان تهربوا من الغضب الآتي.

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?

⁸فاصنعوا اثمارا تليق بالتوبة.

⁸bear, therefore, fruits worthy of the reformation,

⁹ولا تفتكروا ان تقولوا في انفسكم لنا ابراهيم ابا. لاني اقول لكم ان الله قادر ان يقيم من هذه الحجارة اولادا لابراهيم.

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,

¹⁰والآن قد وضعت الفاس على اصل الشجر. فكل شجرة لا تصنع ثمرا جيدا تقطع وتلقى في النار.

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.

¹¹انا اعمدكم بماء للتوبة. ولكن الذي يأتي بعدي هو اقوى مني الذي لست اهلا ان احمل حذاءه. هو سيعمدكم بالروح القدس ونار.

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,

¹²الذي رفشه في يده وسينقي بيدره ويجمع قمحه الى المخزن. واما التبن فيحرقه بنار لا تطفأ

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.`

¹³حينئذ جاء يسوع من الجليل الى الاردن الى يوحنا ليعتمد منه.

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

¹⁴ولكن يوحنا منعه قائلا انا محتاج ان اعتمد منك وانت تأتي اليّ.

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

¹⁵فاجاب يسوع وقال له اسمح الآن. لانه هكذا يليق بنا ان نكمل كل بر. حينئذ سمح له.

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

¹⁶فلما اعتمد يسوع صعد للوقت من الماء. واذا السموات قد انفتحت له فرأى روح الله نازلا مثل حمامة وآتيا عليه.

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,

¹⁷وصوت من السموات قائلا هذا هو ابني الحبيب الذي به سررت

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