1In those days came Yochanan [Yah is gracious] the Baptizer preaching in the wilderness of Y’hudah [Praise]. 2He said: "Turn in repentance, for the Kingdom of heaven is near".

3To fulfill what was written by Yesha’yahu [the salvation of our God] the prophet: "Listen! a voice of one calling: 'Prepare ye in the wilderness the Way of Yehovah [Messiah Pre-Incarnate], make plain in the desert a Highway for our Elohim (The Many Powered) [The Living Word of God]'".

4Behold Yochanan [Yah is gracious] was clothed with the hair of camels and black leather girded his loins (thigh and groin area; often used for the reproductive organs) and his food was locust and the honey of the forest. 5Then they came out to him from Yerushalayim [abode of peace], from all Y’hudah [Praise], and from all the kingdom round about the Yarden [descender], 6and at that time were confessing their sins and were baptized by Yochanan [Yah is gracious] in the Yarden [descender] because of his word.

7He saw that many of the P’rushim (Pharisees) [separatists] and the Tz’dukim (Sadducees) [followers of the right] came to his baptism and he said to them: "Offspring of serpents, who taught you to flee from the wrath to come from The Mighty One"?. 8"Produce the fruit of perfect repentance". 9"Do not say in your heart: 'Avraham [Exalted Father] is our father'. Truly I say to you that Elohim (The Many Powered) [The Living Word of God] is able to raise up children to Avraham [Exalted Father] from these stones". 10"Already the axe has reached the root of the tree; the one which does not produce good fruit will be cut down and burned in the fire". The crowds asked him: 'If so what shall we do'? Yochanan [Yah is gracious] answered them: "He who has two shirts let him give one to him who has none". So the people came to be baptized. Many asked him: 'What shall we do'? And he answered them: "Be anxious for no man and do not chastise them, and be pleased with your lot". And all the people were thinking and reckoning in their circumcised heart: 'Yochanan [Yah is gracious] is Ha-Moshiach [Messiah] [The Messiah]'.

11Yochanan [Yah is gracious] answered all of them: "Behold I truly baptize you with water in the days of repentance, but another comes mightier than I, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to unfasten. He will baptize you with the fire of Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit [Ruach])". 12"His winnowing fork is in his hand to fan (a fork-shaped tool to throw grain in the air, to let he wind separate the wheat from the chaff) his threshing floor and he will gather the grain into his granary and the straw he will burn with fire which is not quenched".

13Then came Yeshua [God is Salvation] from Galil [circuit] to the Yarden [descender] to be baptized by Yochanan [Yah is gracious]. 14But Yochanan [Yah is gracious] was doubtful about baptizing him and said to him: "I should be baptized by you, and you come to me?" 15Yeshua [God is Salvation] answered and said to him: "Permit it, because we are obliged to fulfill all righteousness"; then Yochanan [Yah is gracious] baptized him. 16Immediately when he came up from the water, the heavens were opened to him and he saw The Ruach [Spirit [Ruach]] (Spirit [Ruach]) of Elohim (The Many Powered) [The Living Word of God] coming down in the likeness of a dove and remained upon him. 17Then behold a voice from heaven was saying: "This is My beloved Son, whom I love very very much and in whom I am very well pleased".