Matthew 3 WYC
Summary: John the Baptist appears in the Judean wilderness preaching repentance and the nearness of the kingdom of heaven, dressed in camel's hair and eating locusts and wild honey, drawing crowds from Jerusalem and Judea for baptism in the Jordan. He rebukes Pharisees and Sadducees who come as spectators, warning that lineage from Abraham will not spare them from judgment, and describes one coming after him who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. Jesus arrives from Galilee to be baptized by John, who initially objects, but Jesus insists it is fitting to fulfill all righteousness. As Jesus comes up from the water, the Spirit descends like a dove and a voice from heaven declares, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased' (v. 17).
1In tho daies Joon Baptist cam, and prechide in the desert of Judee,
2and seide, Do ye penaunce, for the kyngdom of heuenes shal neiye.
3For this is he, of whom it is seid bi Ysaie, the prophete, seyinge, A vois of a crier in desert, Make ye redi the weies of the Lord; make ye riyt the pathis of hym.
4And this Joon hadde clothing of camels heeris, and a girdil of skynne aboute hise leendis; and his mete was honysoukis, and hony of the wode.
5Thanne Jerusalem wente out to hym, and al Judee, and al the cuntre aboute Jordan;
6and thei weren waischun of hym in Jordan, `and knowlechiden her synnes.
7But he siy manye of the Farysees and of Saduceis comynge to his baptym, and seide to hem, Generaciouns of eddris, who shewide to you to fle fro the wraththe that is to come?
8Therfor do ye worthi fruyte of penaunce,
9and nyle ye seie with ynne you, We han Abraham to fadir; for Y seie to you, that God is myyti to reise vp of these stoones the sones of Abraham.
10And now the ax is put to the roote of the tree; therfore euery tree that makith not good fruyt, shal be kit doun, and shal be cast in to the fier.
11Y waische you in water, in to penaunce; but he that shal come after me is strongere than Y, whos schoon Y am not worthi to bere; he shal baptise you in the Hooli Goost and fier.
12Whos wynewing cloth is in his hoond, and he shal fulli clense his corn flore, and shal gadere his whete in to his berne; but the chaffe he shal brenne with fier that mai not be quenchid.
13Thanne Jhesus cam fro Galilee in to Jordan to Joon, to be baptised of hym.
14And Joon forbede him, and seide, Y owe to be baptisid of thee, and thou comest to me?
15But Jhesus answeride, and seide to hym, Suffre nowe, for thus it fallith to vs to fulfille al riytfulnesse.
16Thanne Joon suffride hym. And whanne Jhesus was baptisid, anoon he wente up fro the watir; and lo! heuenes weren openyd to hym, and he saie the Spirit of God comynge doun as a dowue, and comynge on hym; and loo!
17a vois fro heuenes, seiynge, This is my louyd sone, in which Y haue plesid to me.
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