MattatYahu (Matthew) — 3
Yahukanun the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 In those days Yahukanun the Baptist came to the wilderness of Yahudah and began preaching, his message was,
2 “Repent of your sins and turn to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, for the Kingdom of Shamaym is near.”
3 The Nabym Yashayahu was speaking about Yahukanun when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for Ha'Mashyach’s coming! Clear the road for Him!’”
4 Yahukanun’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and Yahukanun wore a leather belt around his waist, For food Yahukanun ate locusts and wild honey.
5 People from Yahushalam and from all of Yahudah and all over the Yurdan Valley went out to see and hear Yahukanun.
6 And when they confessed their sins, Yahukanun baptized them in the Yurdan River.
7 But when Yahukanun saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, Yahukanun denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH’s coming wrath?
8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.
9 Don’t just say to each other, ‘We are safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH can create children of Abraham from these very stones.
10 Even now the ax of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees, Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
11 “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am, so much greater that I am not worthy even to be his slave and carry His sandals. He will baptize you with the RUACH Ha'Qadash and with fire.
12 He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork, then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”
The Baptism of YAHUSHA
13 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA went from Galily to the Yurdan River to be baptized by Yahukanun.
14 But Yahukanun tried to talk 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” Yahukanun said, “so why are you coming to me?”
15 But 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH requires.” So Yahukanun agreed to baptize 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA.
16 After the baptism of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA, as He came up out of the water, the Shamaym were opened and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏_YAHUSHA saw the RUACH of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH descending like a dove and settling on Him.
17 And a voice from Shamaym said, “This is my dearly Qadash loved Son, who brings me great joy.”