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

¹Pamazuva iwayo kwakauya Johwani Mubhabhatidzi, achiparidza murenje reJudhiya,

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

²achiti: Tendeukai; nekuti ushe hwematenga hwaswedera.

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.

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

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.

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 country round the Jordan,

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

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

⁶vakabhabhatidzwa naye muna Joridhani vachireurura zvivi zvavo.

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?

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

⁸Produce therefore fruit worthy of repentance.

⁸Naizvozvo berekai zvibereko zvakafanira kutendeuka.

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.

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

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.

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

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;

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

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

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

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