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 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,

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

²in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, [the] word of God came upon 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 district round the Jordan, preaching [the] baptism of repentance for [the] 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 Esaias the prophet: Voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of [the] Lord, make straight his paths.

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

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,

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

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.

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.

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

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.

¹⁰Zvaunga zvikamubvunza, zvichiti: Zvino tichaitei?

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

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

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.

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

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

¹³Akati kwavari: Musateresa kupfuura pamakatemerwa napo.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

¹⁸Naizvozvo achikukurudzira nezvinhu zvizhinji, akaparidzira vanhu evhangeri.

¹⁸Exhorting then many other things also he announced [his] glad tidings to 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 as to Herodias, the wife of his brother, and as to all the wicked things which Herod had done,

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

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

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

²¹And it came to pass, all the people having been baptised, and Jesus having been baptised and praying, that 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 have found my delight.

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

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

²⁴waMatati, waRevhi, waMeriki, waJanai, waJosefa,

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

²⁵waMatatiasi, waAmosi, waNaumi, waEsiri, waNagai,

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

²⁶waMaati, waMatatiasi, waSimeyini, waJosefa, waJudha,

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

²⁷waJohwana, waResa, waZerubhabheri, waSaratieri, waNeri,

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

²⁸waMeriki, waAdhi, waKosamu, waErimodhamu, waEri,

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

²⁹waJose, waEriezeri, waJorimu, waMatati, waRevhi,

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

³⁰waSimioni, waJudha, waJosefa, waJonanu, waEriakimu,

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

³¹waMerea, waMenani, waMatata, waNatani, waDhavhidhi,

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

³²waJese, waObhedhi, waBhowazi, waSarimoni, waNaasoni,

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

³³waAminadhabhi, waAramu, waEsiromi, waFaresi, waJudha,

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

³⁴waJakobho, waIsaka, waAbhurahamu, waTera, waNahori,

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

³⁵waSerugi, waRagau, waFareki, waEberi, waSara,

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

³⁶waKainani, waArifakisadhi, waSemu, waNowa, waRameki,

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

³⁷waMatusara, waEnoki, waJaredhi, waMarereeri, waKainani,

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

³⁸waEnosi, waSeti, waAdhamu, waMwari.

³⁸of Enos, of Seth, of Adam, of God.