1 وفي تلك الايام جاء يوحنا المعمدان يكرز في برية اليهودية. | 1 In due course John the Baptist appeared; he proclaimed this message in the desert of Judaea, |
2 قائلا توبوا لانه قد اقترب ملكوت السموات. | 2 'Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.' |
3 فان هذا هو الذي قيل عنه باشعياء النبي القائل صوت صارخ في البرية اعدوا طريق الرب. اصنعوا سبله مستقيمة. | 3 This was the man spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said: A voice of one that cries in the desert,'Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.' |
4 ويوحنا هذا كان لباسه من وبر الابل وعلى حقويه منطقة من جلد. وكان طعامه جرادا وعسلا بريا. | 4 This man John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather loin-cloth round his waist, and hisfood was locusts and wild honey. |
5 حينئذ خرج اليه اورشليم وكل اليهودية وجميع الكورة المحيطة بالاردن. | 5 Then Jerusalem and al Judaea and the whole Jordan district made their way to him, |
6 واعتمدوا منه في الاردن معترفين بخطاياهم | 6 and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins. |
7 فلما رأى كثيرين من الفريسيين والصدوقيين ياتون الى معموديته قال لهم يا اولاد الافاعي من اراكم ان تهربوا من الغضب الآتي. | 7 But when he saw a number of Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism he said to them, 'Brood ofvipers, who warned you to flee from the coming retribution? |
8 فاصنعوا اثمارا تليق بالتوبة. | 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance, |
9 ولا تفتكروا ان تقولوا في انفسكم لنا ابراهيم ابا. لاني اقول لكم ان الله قادر ان يقيم من هذه الحجارة اولادا لابراهيم. | 9 and do not presume to tell yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father," because, I tel you, God canraise children for Abraham from these stones. |
10 والآن قد وضعت الفاس على اصل الشجر. فكل شجرة لا تصنع ثمرا جيدا تقطع وتلقى في النار. | 10 Even now the axe is being laid to the root of the trees, so that any tree failing to produce good fruit wilbe cut down and thrown on the fire. |
11 انا اعمدكم بماء للتوبة. ولكن الذي يأتي بعدي هو اقوى مني الذي لست اهلا ان احمل حذاءه. هو سيعمدكم بالروح القدس ونار. | 11 I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who comes after me is more powerful than I, and Iam not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. |
12 الذي رفشه في يده وسينقي بيدره ويجمع قمحه الى المخزن. واما التبن فيحرقه بنار لا تطفأ | 12 His winnowing-fan is in his hand; he will clear his threshing-floor and gather his wheat into his barn;but the chaff he will burn in a fire that wil never go out.' |
13 حينئذ جاء يسوع من الجليل الى الاردن الى يوحنا ليعتمد منه. | 13 Then Jesus appeared: he came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. |
14 ولكن يوحنا منعه قائلا انا محتاج ان اعتمد منك وانت تأتي اليّ. | 14 John tried to dissuade him, with the words, 'It is I who need baptism from you, and yet you come tome!' |
15 فاجاب يسوع وقال له اسمح الآن. لانه هكذا يليق بنا ان نكمل كل بر. حينئذ سمح له. | 15 But Jesus replied, 'Leave it like this for the time being; it is fitting that we should, in this way, do al thatuprightness demands.' Then John gave in to him. |
16 فلما اعتمد يسوع صعد للوقت من الماء. واذا السموات قد انفتحت له فرأى روح الله نازلا مثل حمامة وآتيا عليه. | 16 And when Jesus had been baptised he at once came up from the water, and suddenly the heavensopened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. |
17 وصوت من السموات قائلا هذا هو ابني الحبيب الذي به سررت | 17 And suddenly there was a voice from heaven, 'This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him.' |