¹Pamazuva iwayo kwakauya Johwani Mubhabhatidzi, achiparidza murenje reJudhiya,

¹In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,

²achiti: Tendeukai; nekuti ushe hwematenga hwaswedera.

²“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”

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

³For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight.” Isaiah 40:3

⁴Iyezve Johwani waiva nechipfeko chake chemakushe ekamera nebhanhire rechikumba rakapoteredza chiuno chake; nechikafu chake chaiva mhashu neuchi hwedondo.

⁴Now John himself wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

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

⁵Then people from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him.

⁶vakabhabhatidzwa naye muna Joridhani vachireurura zvivi zvavo.

⁶They were baptized or, immersed by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

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

⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, or, immersion he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

⁸Naizvozvo berekai zvibereko zvakafanira kutendeuka.

⁸Therefore bring forth fruit worthy of repentance!

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

⁹Don’t think to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

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

¹⁰“Even now the axe lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that doesn’t bring forth good fruit is cut down, and cast into the 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.

¹¹I indeed baptize or, immerse you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit. TR and NU add “and with fire”

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

¹²His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.”

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

¹³Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.

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

¹⁴But John would have hindered him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?”

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

¹⁵But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it now, for this is the fitting way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him.

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

¹⁶Jesus, when he was baptized, went up directly from the water: and behold, the heavens were opened to him. He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming on him.

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

¹⁷Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”