¹Now in the fifteenth year of the government of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother tetrarch of Ituraea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

¹Mwaka wa kumi na tano wa utawala wa Kaisari Tiberio, Pontio Pilato alikuwa anatawala mkoa wa Yudea. Herode alikuwa mkuu wa mkoa wa Galilaya, na Filipo, ndugu yake, alikuwa mkuu wa mikoa ya Iturea na Trakoniti. Lusania alikuwa mkuu wa mkoa wa Abilene,

²in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, [the] word of God came upon John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

²na Anasi na Kayafa walikuwa makuhani wakuu mjini Yerusalem. Wakati huo ndipo neno la Mungu lilipomjia Yohane, mwana wa Zakariya, kule jangwani.

³And he came into all the district round the Jordan, preaching [the] baptism of repentance for [the] remission of sins,

³Basi, Yohane akaenda katika sehemu zote zilizopakana na mto Yordani, akihubiri watu watubu na kubatizwa ili Mungu awaondolee dhambi.

⁴as it is written in [the] book of [the] words of Esaias the prophet: Voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of [the] Lord, make straight his paths.

⁴Ndivyo ilivyoandikwa katika kitabu cha nabii Isaya: "Sauti ya mtu imesikika jangwani: Mtayarishieni Bwana njia yake; nyosheni mapito yake.

⁵Every gorge shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked [places] shall become a straight [path], and the rough places smooth ways,

⁵Kila bonde litafukiwa, kila mlima na kilima vitasawazishwa; palipopindika patanyooshwa, njia mbaya zitatengenezwa.

⁶and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

⁶Na, watu wote watauona wokovu utokao kwa Mungu."

⁷He said therefore to the crowds which went out to be baptised by him, Offspring of vipers, who has forewarned you to flee from the coming wrath?

⁷Basi, Yohane akawa anawaambia watu wengi waliofika ili awabatize: "Enyi kizazi cha nyoka! Ni nani aliyewadokezea kwamba mngeweza kuiepuka ghadhabu inayokuja?

⁸Produce therefore fruits worthy of repentance; and begin not to say in 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.

⁸Basi, onyesheni kwa matendo kwamba mmetubu. Msianze sasa kusema: Sisi ni watoto wa Abrahamu. Nawaambieni hakika, Mungu anaweza kuyageuza mawe haya yawe watoto wa Abrahamu!

⁹And already also 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.

⁹Lakini, sasa hivi shoka limewekwa tayari kukata mizizi ya miti. Kila mti usiozaa matunda mazuri utakatwa na kutupwa motoni."

¹⁰And the crowds asked him saying, What should we do then?

¹⁰Umati wa watu ukamwuliza, "Tufanye nini basi?"

¹¹And he answering says to them, He that has two body-coats, let him give to him that has none; and he that has food, let him do likewise.

¹¹Akawajibu, "Aliye na nguo mbili amgawie yule asiye na nguo; aliye na chakula afanye vivyo hivyo."

¹²And tax-gatherers came also to be baptised, and they said to him, Teacher, what should we do?

¹²Nao watoza ushuru wakaja pia ili wabatizwe, wakamwuliza, "Mwalimu, tufanye nini?"

¹³And he said to them, Take no more [money] than what is appointed to you.

¹³Naye akawaambia, "Msitoze ushuru zaidi ya kima kilichowekwa."

¹⁴And persons engaged in military service also asked him saying, And we, what should we do? And he said to them, Oppress no one, nor accuse falsely, and be satisfied with your pay.

¹⁴Nao askari wakamwuliza, "Na sisi tufanye nini?" Naye akawajibu, "Msichukue vitu vya mtu yeyote kwa nguvu wala kumshtaki yeyote kwa uongo. Toshekeni na mishahara yenu."

¹⁵But as the people were in expectation, and all were reasoning in their hearts concerning John whether *he* might be the Christ,

¹⁵Wote walikuwa wanatazamia kitu fulani; basi, wakaanza kujiuliza mioyoni mwao kuhusu Yohane: kuwa labda yeye ndiye Kristo.

¹⁶John answered all, saying, *I* indeed baptise you with water, but the mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not fit to unloose; *he* shall baptise you with [the] Holy Spirit and fire;

¹⁶Hapo Yohane akawaambia wote, "Mimi ninawabatiza kwa maji, lakini anakuja mwenye uwezo zaidi kuliko mimi ambaye sistahili hata kumfungulia kamba za viatu vyake. Yeye atawabatizeni kwa Roho Mtakatifu na kwa moto.

¹⁷whose winnowing-fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his threshing-floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner, but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

¹⁷Yeye ni kama mtu anayeshika mikononi mwake chombo cha kupuria nafaka, aipure nafaka yake, akusanye ngano ghalani mwake, na makapi ayachome kwa moto usiozimika."

¹⁸Exhorting then many other things also he announced [his] glad tidings to the people.

¹⁸Hivyo, pamoja na mawaidha mengine mengi, Yohane aliwahimiza watu akiwahubiria Habari Njema.

¹⁹But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him as to Herodias, the wife of his brother, and as to all the wicked things which Herod had done,

¹⁹Lakini Yohane alimgombeza Herode, mkuu wa mkoa, kwa sababu alikuwa amemchukua Herodia, mke wa ndugu yake, na kumfanya mke wake; na pia kwa ajili ya mabaya yote aliyokuwa amefanya.

²⁰added this also to all [the rest], that he shut up John in prison.

²⁰Kisha Herode akazidisha ubaya wake kwa kumtia Yohane gerezani.

²¹And it came to pass, all the people having been baptised, and Jesus having been baptised and praying, that the heaven was opened,

²¹Watu wote walipokuwa wamekwisha batizwa, Yesu naye alibatizwa. Na alipokuwa akisali, mbingu zilifunguka,

²²and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form as a dove upon him; and a voice came out of heaven, *Thou* art my beloved Son, in thee I have found my delight.

²²na Roho Mtakatifu akamshukia akiwa na umbo kama la njiwa. Sauti ikasikika kutoka mbinguni: "Wewe ndiwe Mwanangu mpendwa, nimependezwa nawe."

²³And Jesus himself was beginning to be about thirty years old; being as was supposed son of Joseph; of Eli,

²³Yesu alipoanza kazi yake hadharani, alikuwa na umri upatao miaka thelathini, na watu walidhani yeye ni mwana wa Yosefu, mwana wa Heli.

²⁴of Matthat, of Levi, of Melchi, of Janna, of Joseph,

²⁴Heli alikuwa mwana wa Mathati, mwana wa Lawi, mwana wa Melki, mwana wa Yanai, mwana wa Yosefu,

²⁵of Mattathias, of Amos, of Naoum, of Esli, of Naggai,

²⁵mwana wa Matathia, mwana wa Amosi, mwana wa Nahumu, mwana wa Hesli, mwana wa Nagai,

²⁶of Maath, of Mattathias, of Semei, of Joseph, of Juda,

²⁶mwana wa Maathi, mwana wa Matathia, mwana wa Shemeni, mwana wa Yoseki, mwana wa Yuda,

²⁷of Joannes, of Resa, of Zorobabel, of Salathiel, of Neri,

²⁷mwana wa Yohanani, mwana wa Resa, mwana wa Zerubabeli, mwana wa Shealtieli, mwana wa Neri,

²⁸of Melchi, of Addi, of Cosam, of Elmodam, of Er,

²⁸mwana wa Melki, mwana wa Adi, mwana wa Kosamu, mwana wa Elmadamu, mwana wa Eri,

²⁹of Joses, of Eliezer, of Joreim, of Matthat, of Levi,

²⁹mwana wa Yoshua, mwana wa Eliezeri, mwana wa Yorimu, mwana wa Mathati, mwana wa Lawi,

³⁰of Simeon, of Juda, of Joseph, of Jonan, of Eliakim,

³⁰mwana wa Simeoni, mwana wa Yuda, mwana wa Yosefu, mwana wa Yonamu, mwana wa Eliakimu,

³¹of Meleas, of Menan, of Mattatha, of Nathan, of David,

³¹mwana wa Melea, mwana wa Mena, mwana wa Matatha, mwana wa Nathani, mwana wa Daudi,

³²of Jesse, of Obed, of Booz, of Salmon, of Naasson,

³²mwana wa Yese, mwana wa Obedi, mwana wa Boazi, mwana wa Salmoni, mwana wa Nashoni,

³³of Aminadab, of Aram, of Esrom, of Phares, of Juda,

³³mwana wa Aminadabu, mwana wa Admini, mwana wa Arni, mwana wa Hesroni, mwana wa Feresi, mwana wa Yuda,

³⁴of Jacob, of Isaac, of Abraham, of Terah, of Nachor,

³⁴mwana wa Yakobo, mwana wa Isaka, mwana wa Abrahamu, mwana wa Tera, mwana wa Nahori,

³⁵of Seruch, of Ragau, of Phalek, of Eber, of Sala,

³⁵mwana wa Serugi, mwana wa Reu, mwana wa Pelegi, mwana wa Eberi, mwana wa Sala,

³⁶of Cainan, of Arphaxad, of Sem, of Noe, of Lamech,

³⁶mwana wa Kainani, mwana wa Arfaksadi, mwana wa Shemu, mwana wa Noa, mwana wa Lameki,

³⁷of Methusala, of Enoch, of Jared, of Maleleel, of Cainan,

³⁷mwana wa Mathusala, mwana wa Henoki, mwana wa Yaredi, mwana wa Mahalaleli, mwana wa Kenani,

³⁸of Enos, of Seth, of Adam, of God.

³⁸mwana wa Enosi, mwana wa Sethi, mwana wa Adamu, aliyekuwa wa Mungu.