¹Zvino negore regumi nemashanu rekutonga kwaTibherio Kesari, Pondiyo Pirato ari mutungamiriri weJudhiya, Herodhe ari umwe wevatongi vana weGarirea, Firipi munin'ina wake ari umwe wevatongi vana weIturea nedunhu reTrakoniti, Risanio ari umwe wevatongi vana weAbhirene,

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

²Anasi naKayafasi vari vapristi vakuru, shoko raMwari rakasvika kuna Johwani mwanakomana waZakaria murenje.

²in the highpriesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

³Akasvika munyika yose yakapoteredza yaJoridani, achiparidza rubhabhatidzo rwekutendeuka kuve kukangamwirwa kwezvivi;

³And he came into all the region round about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins;

⁴sezvazvakanyorwa mubhuku ramashoko aIsaya muporofita zvichinzi: Inzwi reunodana murenje richiti: Gadzirai nzira yaIshe; ruramisai migwagwa yake.

⁴as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight.

⁵Mupata wose uchafusirwa, negomo roga roga nechikomo zvichaderedzwa; zvakakombama zvicharuramiswa, nzira dzemakwiringwindi dzienzaniswe;

⁵Every valley shall be filled, And every mountain and hill shall be brought low; And the crooked shall become straight, And the rough ways smooth;

⁶uye nyama yose ichaona ruponeso rwaMwari.

⁶And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

⁷Naizvozvo wakati kuzvaunga zvaibudira kuzobhabhatidzwa naye: Zvizvarwa zvenyoka, ndiani wakakutaridzirai kutiza hasha dzinouya?

⁷He said therefore to the multitudes that went out to be baptized of him, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

⁸Naizvozvo berekai zvibereko zvakafanira kutendeuka; uye musatanga kuti mukati menyu: Tina Abhurahamu unova baba; nekuti ndinoti kwamuri: Mwari unogona kubva pamabwe awa kumutsira Abhurahamu vana.

⁸Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

⁹Ikozvino sanhuwo ratoiswa pamudzi wemiti; naizvozvo muti umwe neumwe usingabereki chibereko chakanaka unotemwa, ugokandirwa mumoto.

⁹And even now the axe also lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

¹⁰Zvaunga zvikamubvunza, zvichiti: Zvino tichaitei?

¹⁰And the multitudes asked him, saying, What then must we do?

¹¹Akapindura akati kwavari: Une nguvo mbiri, ngaagovane neusina; neune chikafu ngaaite saizvozvo.

¹¹And he answered and said unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath food, let him do likewise.

¹²Zvino kwakauyawo vateresi kuzobhabhatidzwa, vakati kwaari: Mudzidzisi, tichaitei?

¹²And there came also publicans to be baptized, and they said unto him, Teacher, what must we do?

¹³Akati kwavari: Musateresa kupfuura pamakatemerwa napo.

¹³And he said unto them, Extort no more than that which is appointed you.

¹⁴Nemautowo akamubvunza, achiti: Ko isu tichaitei? Akati kwaari: Musatyityidzira munhu kana kupomera nhema; uye mugutsikane nemihoro yenyu.

¹⁴And soldiers also asked him, saying, And we, what must we do? And he said unto them, Extort from no man by violence, neither accuse [any one] wrongfully; and be content with your wages.

¹⁵Zvino vanhu vakati vachatarisira, vose vachirangarira mumoyo mavo pamusoro paJohwani, kuti zvimwe iye ungava Kristu,

¹⁵And as the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether haply he were the Christ;

¹⁶Johwani akapindura kune vose achiti: Ini zvirokwazvo ndinokubhabhatidzai nemvura; asi une simba kupfuura ini unouya, wandisina kufanira kusunungura rukanda rweshangu dzake; iye uchakubhabhatidzai neMweya Mutsvene nemoto;

¹⁶John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but there cometh he that is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and [in] fire:

¹⁷werusero rwake rwuri muruoko rwake; uchachenesa kwazvo buriro rake; uye uchaunganidza zviyo mudura rake, asi hundi uchaipisa nemoto usingadzimiki.

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

¹⁸Naizvozvo achikukurudzira nezvinhu zvizhinji, akaparidzira vanhu evhangeri.

¹⁸With many other exhortations therefore preached he good tidings unto the people;

¹⁹Asi Herodhe umwe wevatongi vana, wakati atsiurwa naye pamusoro paHerodhiasi, mukadzi waFiripi munin'ina wake, nezvakaipa zvose Herodhe zvaakange aita,

¹⁹but Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother's wife, and for all the evil things which Herod had done,

²⁰wakawedzerazve ichi pamusoro pazvo zvose, kuti wakapfigira Johwani mutirongo.

²⁰added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison.

²¹Zvino zvakaitika kuti vanhu vose vabhabhatidzwa, Jesuwo abhabhatidzwa, achinyengetera, denga rakazarurwa.

²¹Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that, Jesus also having been baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

²²Mweya Mutsvene ndokuburukira pamusoro pake nechimiro chemuviri sowenjiva, inzwi ndokubva kudenga, richiti: Iwe uri Mwanakomana wangu unodikamwa, wandinofara naye.

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 am well pleased.

²³Zvino iye Jesu wakange achitanga kuva nemakore anenge makumi matatu, ari (sezvaifungidzirwa) mwanakomana waJosefa, waHeri,

²³And Jesus himself, when he began [to teach], was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the [son] of Heli,

²⁴waMatati, waRevhi, waMeriki, waJanai, waJosefa,

²⁴the [son] of Matthat, the [son] of Levi, the [son] of Melchi, the [son] of Jannai, the [son] of Joseph,

²⁵waMatatiasi, waAmosi, waNaumi, waEsiri, waNagai,

²⁵the [son] of Mattathias, the [son] of Amos, the [son] of Nahum, the [son] of Esli, the [son] of Naggai,

²⁶waMaati, waMatatiasi, waSimeyini, waJosefa, waJudha,

²⁶the [son] of Maath, the [son] of Mattathias, the [son] of Semein, the [son] of Josech, the [son] of Joda,

²⁷waJohwana, waResa, waZerubhabheri, waSaratieri, waNeri,

²⁷the [son] of Joanan, the [son] of Rhesa, the [son] of Zerubbabel, the [son] of Shealtiel, the [son] of Neri,

²⁸waMeriki, waAdhi, waKosamu, waErimodhamu, waEri,

²⁸the [son] of Melchi, the [son] of Addi, the [son] of Cosam, the [son] of Elmadam, the [son] of Er,

²⁹waJose, waEriezeri, waJorimu, waMatati, waRevhi,

²⁹the [son] of Jesus, the [son] of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the [son] of Matthat, the [son] of Levi,

³⁰waSimioni, waJudha, waJosefa, waJonanu, waEriakimu,

³⁰the [son] of Symeon, the [son] of Judas, the [son] of Joseph, the [son] of Jonam, the [son] of Eliakim,

³¹waMerea, waMenani, waMatata, waNatani, waDhavhidhi,

³¹the [son] of Melea, the [son] of Menna, the [son] of Mattatha, the [son] of Nathan, the [son] of David,

³²waJese, waObhedhi, waBhowazi, waSarimoni, waNaasoni,

³²the [son] of Jesse, the [son] of Obed, the [son] of Boaz, the [son] of Salmon, the [son] of Nahshon,

³³waAminadhabhi, waAramu, waEsiromi, waFaresi, waJudha,

³³the [son] of Amminadab, the [son] of Arni, the [son] of Hezron, the [son] of Perez, the [son] of Judah,

³⁴waJakobho, waIsaka, waAbhurahamu, waTera, waNahori,

³⁴the [son] of Jacob, the [son] of Isaac, the [son] of Abraham, the [son] of Terah, the [son] of Nahor,

³⁵waSerugi, waRagau, waFareki, waEberi, waSara,

³⁵the [son] of Serug, the [son] of Reu, the [son] of Peleg, the [son] of Eber, the [son] of Shelah

³⁶waKainani, waArifakisadhi, waSemu, waNowa, waRameki,

³⁶the [son] of Cainan, the [son] of Arphaxad, the [son] of Shem, the [son] of Noah, the [son] of Lamech,

³⁷waMatusara, waEnoki, waJaredhi, waMarereeri, waKainani,

³⁷the [son] of Methuselah, the [son] of Enoch, the [son] of Jared, the [son] of Mahalaleel, the [son] of Cainan,

³⁸waEnosi, waSeti, waAdhamu, waMwari.

³⁸the [son] of Enos, the [son] of Seth, the [son] of Adam, the [son] of God.