¹Now in those days comes John the baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

¹Ary tamin'izany andro izany dia niseho Jaona Mpanao batisa, nitory tany an-efitr'i Jodia nanao hoe:

²and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh.

²Mibebaha ianareo; fa efa akaiky ny fanjakan'ny lanitra.

³For this is he who has been spoken of through Esaias the prophet, saying, Voice of him that crieth in the wilderness: prepare ye the way of [the] Lord, make straight his paths.

³Fa izy no ilay nampilazaina an'Isaia mpaminany hoe: Injany! misy feon'ny miantso mafy any an-efitra hoe: Amboary ny lalan'i Jehovah, Ataovy mahitsy ny lalan-kalehany (Isa. 40. 3).

⁴And John himself had his garment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins, and his nourishment was locusts and wild honey.

⁴Ary ny fitafian'izany Jaona izany dia lamba volon-drameva, ary fehin-kibo hoditra no tamin'ny valahany; ary ny fihinany dia valala sy tantely remby.

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

⁵Ary Jerosalema sy Jodia rehetra mbamin'ny tany rehetra amoron'i i Jordana dia nivoaka nankany amin'i Jaona,

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

⁶ka nataony batisa tao amin'ny ony Jordana ireny, rehefa niaiky ny fahotany.

⁷But seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, Offspring of vipers, who has forewarned you to flee from the coming wrath?

⁷Fa nony nahita ny Fariseo sy ny Sadoseo maro nanatona ny batisany izy, dia hoy izy taminy: Ry taranaky ny menarana, iza no nanoro hevitra anareo handositra ny fahatezerana ho avy?

⁸Produce therefore fruit worthy of repentance.

⁸Koa mamoaza voa miendrika ny fibebahana ianareo;

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

⁹ary aza manao anakampo hoe: Manana an'i Abrahama ho rainay izahay; fa lazaiko aminareo fa Andriamanitra mahay manangana zanaka ho an'i Abrahama avy amin'ireto vato ireto.

¹⁰And already the axe is applied to the root of the trees; every tree therefore not producing good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.

¹⁰Ary, indro, efa mipetraka eo amin'ny fototry ny hazo sahady ny famaky; koa ny hazo rehetra izay tsy mamoa voa tsara dia hokapaina ka hatsipy any anaty afo.

¹¹*I* indeed baptise you with water to repentance, but he that comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not fit to bear; *he* shall baptise you with [the] Holy Spirit and fire;

¹¹Izaho dia manao batisa anareo amin'ny rano ho amin'ny fibebahana; fa Ilay avy ao aoriako no mahery noho izaho, ka tsy miendrika hitondra ny kapany aza aho; Izy no hanao batisa anareo amin'ny Fanahy Masina sy ny afo;

¹²whose winnowing fan [is] in his hand, and he shall thoroughly purge his threshing-floor, and shall gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

¹²eny an-tànany ny fikororohany, ary Izy hanadio tsara ny eo am-pamoloany ka hanangona ny variny ho any an-tsompitra; fa ny akofa sy ny mololo hodorany amin'ny afo tsy mety maty.

¹³Then comes Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptised of him;

¹³Ary tamin'izay Jesosy dia avy tany Galilia ka tonga teo amoron'i Jordana, dia nanatona an'i Jaona Izy mba hataony batisa.

¹⁴but John urgently forbad him, saying, *I* have need to be baptised of thee; and comest *thou* to me?

¹⁴Fa Jaona nandà Azy ka nanao hoe: Izaho no tokony hataonao batisa, ka Hianao indray va no mankaty amiko?

¹⁵But Jesus answering said to him, Suffer [it] now; for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffers him.

¹⁵Fa namaly Jesosy ka niteny taminy hoe: Ekeo ihany ankehitriny, fa izao no mety amintsika hahatanteraka ny fahamarinana rehetra. Ka dia nekeny Izy.

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

¹⁶Ary raha vao natao batisa Jesosy, dia niakatra avy teo amin'ny rano niaraka tamin'izay Izy; ary, indro, nisokatra taminy ny lanitra, ary hitany ny Fanahin'Andriamanitra nidina tahaka ny voromailala ka nankeo amboniny.Ary, injao! nisy feo avy tany an-danitra nanao hoe: Ity no Zanako malalako Izay sitrako.

¹⁷and behold, a voice out of the heavens saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight.

¹⁷Ary, injao! nisy feo avy tany an-danitra nanao hoe: Ity no Zanako malalako Izay sitrako.