¹Siku hizo Yohane Mbatizaji alitokea, akaanza kuhubiri katika jangwa la Yudea:

¹And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, saying,

²"Tubuni, maana Ufalme wa mbinguni umekaribia."

²Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

³Huyu Yohane ndiye yule ambaye nabii Isaya alinena juu yake aliposema: "Sauti ya mtu imesikika jangwani: Mtayarishieni Bwana njia yake, nyoosheni vijia vyake."

³For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight.

⁴Yohane alivaa vazi lililoshonwa kwa manyoya ya ngamia, na ukanda wa ngozi kiunoni mwake. Chakula chake kilikuwa nzige na asali ya mwituni.

⁴Now John himself had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

⁵Basi, watu kutoka Yerusalemu, kutoka mkoa wote wa Yudea na sehemu zote za kandokando ya mto Yordani, walimwendea,

⁵Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about the Jordan;

⁶wakaziungama dhambi zao, naye akawabatiza katika mto Yordani.

⁶and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷Lakini alipowaona Mafarisayo wengi na Masadukayo wanamjia ili awabatize, aliwaambia, "Enyi kizazi cha nyoka! Ni nani aliyewadokezea kwamba mnaweza kuiepuka ghadhabu inayokuja?

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

⁸Onyesheni basi kwa matendo, kwamba mmetubu kweli.

⁸Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance:

⁹Msidhani kwamba mtaweza kujitetea kwa kusema, Baba yetu ni Abrahamu! Nawaambieni hakika, Mungu anaweza kuyafanya mawe haya yawe watoto wa Abrahamu.

⁹and think 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.

¹⁰Basi, shoka liko tayari kuikata mizizi ya miti; hivyo, kila mti usiozaa matunda mazuri, utakatwa na kutupwa motoni.

¹⁰And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

¹¹Mimi ninawabatizeni kwa maji kuonyesha kwamba mmetubu. Lakini yule anayekuja baada yangu ana uwezo kuliko mimi. Mimi sistahili hata kubeba viatu vyake. Yeye atawabatizeni kwa Roho Mtakatifu na kwa moto.

¹¹I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and [in] fire:

¹²Yeye anashika mkononi chombo cha kupuria nafaka, ili aipure nafaka yake; akusanye ngano ghalani, na makapi ayachome kwa moto usiozimika."

¹²whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor; and he will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.

¹³Wakati huo Yesu alitoka Galilaya akafika katika mto Yordani, akamwendea Yohane ili abatizwe naye.

¹³Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

¹⁴Lakini Yohane alijaribu kumzuia akisema, "Je, wewe unakuja kwangu? Mimi hasa ndiye ninayehitaji kubatizwa nawe."

¹⁴But John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

¹⁵Lakini Yesu akamjibu, "Acha tu iwe hivyo kwa sasa, maana kwa namna hii inafaa tuyatekeleze yale yote Mungu anayotaka." Hapo Yohane akakubali.

¹⁵But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer [it] now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffereth him.

¹⁶Mara tu Yesu alipokwisha batizwa, alitoka majini; na ghafla mbingu zikafunguka, akaona Roho wa Mungu akishuka kama njiwa na kutua juu yake.

¹⁶And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him;

¹⁷Sauti kutoka mbinguni ikasema, "Huyu ndiye Mwanangu mpendwa, nimependezwa naye."

¹⁷and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.