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 Judea, 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 high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.

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

³He came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for 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 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 will be filled. Every mountain and hill will be brought low. The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth.

⁶uye nyama yose ichaona ruponeso rwaMwari.

⁶All flesh will see God’s salvation.’” Isaiah 40:3-5

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

⁷He said therefore to the multitudes who went out to be baptized by him, “You 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 don’t begin to say among yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father;’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones!

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

⁹Even now the axe also lies at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doesn’t bring forth good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰Zvaunga zvikamubvunza, zvichiti: Zvino tichaitei?

¹⁰The multitudes asked him, “What then must we do?”

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

¹¹He answered them, “He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none. He who has food, let him do likewise.”

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

¹²Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what must we do?”

¹³Akati kwavari: Musateresa kupfuura pamakatemerwa napo.

¹³He said to them, “Collect no more than that which is appointed to you.”

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

¹⁴Soldiers also asked him, saying, “What about us? What must we do?” He said to them, “Extort from no one by violence, neither accuse anyone wrongfully. Be content with your wages.”

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

¹⁵As the people were in expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he was 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 them all, “I indeed baptize you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the latchet of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in 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 fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

¹⁸Naizvozvo achikukurudzira nezvinhu zvizhinji, akaparidzira vanhu evhangeri.

¹⁸Then with many other exhortations he preached good news 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 for Herodias, his brother’s TR reads “brother Philip’s” instead of “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 happened, when all the people were baptized, Jesus also had been baptized, and was praying. The sky 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 on him; and a voice came out of the sky, saying “You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.”

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

²³Jesus himself, when he began to teach, was about thirty years old, 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 Joseph, the son of Judah,

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 Elmodam, the son of Er,

²⁹waJose, waEriezeri, waJorimu, waMatati, waRevhi,

²⁹the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi,

³⁰waSimioni, waJudha, waJosefa, waJonanu, waEriakimu,

³⁰the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim,

³¹waMerea, waMenani, waMatata, waNatani, waDhavhidhi,

³¹the son of Melea, the son of Menan, 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 Aram, NU reads “Admin, the son of Arni” instead of “Aram” 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.