Anno autem quintodecimo imperii Tiberii Cæsaris, procurante Pontio Pilato Judæam, tetrarcha autem Galilææ Herode, Philippo autem fratre ejus tetrarcha Iturææ, et Trachonitidis regionis, et Lysania Abilinæ tetrarcha,

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother tetrarch of Iturea, and the country of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilina;

It was in the fifteenth year of the emperor Tiberius’ reign, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea, when Herod was prince in Galilee, his brother Philip in the Ituraean and Trachonitid region, and Lysanias in Abilina,

sub principibus sacerdotum Anna et Caipha: factum est verbum Domini super Joannem, Zachariæ filium, in deserto.

Under the high priests Annas and Caiphas; the word of the Lord was made unto John, the son of Zachary, in the desert.

in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiphas, that the word of God came upon John, the son of Zachary, in the desert.

Et venit in omnem regionem Jordanis, prædicans baptismum pœnitentiæ in remissionem peccatorum,

And he came into all the country about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of penance for the remission of sins;

And he went all over the country round Jordan, announcing a baptism whereby men repented, to have their sins forgiven:

sicut scriptum est in libro sermonum Isaiæ prophetæ: Vox clamantis in deserto: Parate viam Domini; rectas facite semitas ejus:

As it was written in the book of the sayings of Isaias the prophet: A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.

as it is written in the book of the sayings of the prophet Isaias, There is a voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, straighten out his paths.

omnis vallis implebitur, et omnis mons, et collis humiliabitur: et erunt prava in directa, et aspera in vias planas:

Every valley shall be filled; and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight; and the rough ways plain;

Every valley is to be bridged, and every mountain and hill levelled, and the windings are to be cut straight, and the rough paths made into smooth roads,

et videbit omnis caro salutare Dei.

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

and all mankind is to see the saving power of God.

Dicebat ergo ad turbas quæ exibant ut baptizarentur ab ipso: Genimina viperarum, quis ostendit vobis fugere a ventura ira?

He said therefore to the multitudes that went forth to be baptized by him: Ye offspring of vipers, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come?

He said to the multitudes who came out to be baptized by him, Who was it that taught you, brood of vipers, to flee from the vengeance that draws near?

Facite ergo fructus dignos pœnitentiæ, et ne cœperitis dicere: Patrem habemus Abraham. Dico enim vobis quia potens est Deus de lapidibus istis suscitare filios Abrahæ.

Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of penance; and do not begin to say, We have Abraham for our father. For I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

Come then, yield the acceptable fruit of repentance; do not think to say, We have Abraham for our father; I tell you, God has power to raise up children to Abraham out of these very stones.

Jam enim securis ad radicem arborum posita est. Omnis ergo arbor non faciens fructum bonum, excidetur, et in ignem mittetur.

For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down and cast into the fire.

Already the axe has been put to the root of the trees, so that every tree which does not shew good fruit will be hewn down and cast into the fire.

Et interrogabant eum turbæ, dicentes: Quid ergo faciemus?

And the people asked him, saying: What then shall we do?

And the multitudes asked him, What is it, then, we are to do?

Respondens autem dicebat illis: Qui habet duas tunicas, det non habenti: et qui habet escas, similiter faciat.

And he answering, said to them: He that hath two coats, let him give to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do in like manner.

He answered them, The man who has two coats must share with the man who has none; and the man who has food to eat, must do the like.

Venerunt autem et publicani ut baptizarentur, et dixerunt ad illum: Magister, quid faciemus?

And the publicans also came to be baptized, and said to him: Master, what shall we do?

The publicans, too, came to be baptized; Master, they said to him, what are we to do?

At ille dixit ad eos: Nihil amplius, quam quod constitutum est vobis, faciatis.

But he said to them: Do nothing more than that which is appointed you.

He told them, Do not go beyond the scale appointed you.

Interrogabant autem eum et milites, dicentes: Quid faciemus et nos? Et ait illis: Neminem concutiatis, neque calumniam faciatis: et contenti estote stipendiis vestris.

And the soldiers also asked him, saying: And what shall we do? And he said to them: Do violence to no man; neither calumniate any man; and be content with your pay.

Even the soldiers on guard asked him, What of us? What are we to do? He said to them, Do not use men roughly, do not lay false information against them; be content with your pay.

Existimante autem populo, et cogitantibus omnibus in cordibus suis de Joanne, ne forte ipse esset Christus,

And as the people were of opinion, and all were thinking in their hearts of John, that perhaps he might be the Christ;

And now the people was full of expectation; all had the same surmise in their hearts, whether John might not be the Christ.

respondit Joannes, dicens omnibus: Ego quidem aqua baptizo vos: veniet autem fortior me, cujus non sum dignus solvere corrigiam calceamentorum ejus: ipse vos baptizabit in Spiritu Sancto et igni:

John answered, saying unto all: I indeed baptize you with water; but there shall come one mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

But John gave them their answer by saying publicly, As for me, I am baptizing you with water; but one is yet to come who is mightier than I, so that I am not worthy to untie the strap of his shoes. He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

cujus ventilabrum in manu ejus, et purgabit aream suam, et congregabit triticum in horreum suum, paleas autem comburet igni inextinguibili.

Whose fan is in his hand, and he will purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

He holds his winnowing-fan ready, to purge his threshing-floor clean; he will gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will consume with fire that can never be quenched.

Multa quidem et alia exhortans evangelizabat populo.

And many other things exhorting, did he preach to the people.

With these and many other warnings he gave his message to the people:

Herodes autem tetrarcha cum corriperetur ab illo de Herodiade uxore fratris sui, et de omnibus malis quæ fecit Herodes,

But Herod the tetrarch, when he was reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done;

but when he rebuked prince Herod over his brother Philip’s wife, and his shameful deeds,

adjecit et hoc super omnia, et inclusit Joannem in carcere.

He added this also above all, and shut up John in prison.

Herod, to crown all, shut John up in prison.

Factum est autem cum baptizaretur omnis populus, et Jesu baptizato, et orante, apertum est cælum:

Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that Jesus also being baptized and praying, heaven was opened;

It was while all the people were being baptized that Jesus was baptized too, and stood there praying. Suddenly heaven was opened,

et descendit Spiritus Sanctus corporali specie sicut columba in ipsum: et vox de cælo facta est: Tu es filius meus dilectus, in te complacui mihi.

And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape, as a dove upon him; and a voice came from heaven: Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

and the Holy Spirit came down upon him in bodily form, like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased.

Et ipse Jesus erat incipiens quasi annorum triginta, ut putabatur, filius Joseph, qui fuit Heli, qui fuit Mathat,

And Jesus himself was beginning about the age of thirty years; being (as it was supposed) the son of Joseph, who was of Heli, who was of Mathat,

Jesus himself had now reached the age of about thirty. He was, by repute, the son of Joseph, son of Heli, son of Mathat,

qui fuit Levi, qui fuit Melchi, qui fuit Janne, qui fuit Joseph,

Who was of Levi, who was of Melchi, who was of Janne, who was of Joseph,

son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Janne, son of Joseph,

qui fuit Mathathiæ, qui fuit Amos, qui fuit Nahum, qui fuit Hesli, qui fuit Nagge,

Who was of Mathathias, who was of Amos, who was of Nahum, who was of Hesli, who was of Nagge,

son of Matthathias, son of Amos, son of Nahum, son of Hesli, son of Nagge,

qui fuit Mahath, qui fuit Mathathiæ, qui fuit Semei, qui fuit Joseph, qui fuit Juda,

Who was of Mahath, who was of Mathathias, who was of Semei, who was of Joseph, who was of Juda,

son of Mahath, son of Matthathias, son of Semei, son of Joseph, son of Juda,

qui fuit Joanna, qui fuit Resa, qui fuit Zorobabel, qui fuit Salathiel, qui fuit Neri,

Who was of Joanna, who was of Reza, who was of Zorobabel, who was of Salathiel, who was of Neri,

son of Joanna, son of Resa, son of Zorobabel, son of Salathiel, son of Neri,

qui fuit Melchi, qui fuit Addi, qui fuit Cosan, qui fuit Elmadan, qui fuit Her,

Who was of Melchi, who was of Addi, who was of Cosan, who was of Helmadan, who was of Her,

son of Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosan, son of Elmadan, son of Her,

qui fuit Jesu, qui fuit Eliezer, qui fuit Jorim, qui fuit Mathat, qui fuit Levi,

Who was of Jesus, who was of Eliezer, who was of Jorim, who was of Mathat, who was of Levi,

son of Jesu, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Mathat, son of Levi,

qui fuit Simeon, qui fuit Juda, qui fuit Joseph, qui fuit Jona, qui fuit Eliakim,

Who was of Simeon, who was of Judas, who was of Joseph, who was of Jona, who was of Eliakim,

son of Simeon, son of Juda, son of Joseph, son of Jona, son of Eliacim,

qui fuit Melea, qui fuit Menna, qui fuit Mathatha, qui fuit Natham, qui fuit David,

Who was of Melea, who was of Menna, who was of Mathatha, who was of Nathan, who was of David,

son of Melea, son of Menna, son of Mathatha, son of Nathan, son of David,

qui fuit Jesse, qui fuit Obed, qui fuit Booz, qui fuit Salmon, qui fuit Naasson,

Who was of Jesse, who was of Obed, who was of Booz, who was of Salmon, who was of Naasson,

son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Booz, son of Salmon, son of Naasson,

qui fuit Aminadab, qui fuit Aram, qui fuit Esron, qui fuit Phares, qui fuit Judæ,

Who was of Aminadab, who was of Aram, who was of Esron, who was of Phares, who was of Judas,

son of Aminadab, son of Aram, son of Esron, son of Phares, son of Juda,

qui fuit Jacob, qui fuit Isaac, qui fuit Abrahæ, qui fuit Thare, qui fuit Nachor,

Who was of Jacob, who was of Isaac, who was of Abraham, who was of Thare, who was of Nachor,

son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of Thare, son of Nachor,

qui fuit Sarug, qui fuit Ragau, qui fuit Phaleg, qui fuit Heber, qui fuit Sale,

Who was of Sarug, who was of Ragau, who was of Phaleg, who was of Heber, who was of Sale,

son of Sarug, son of Ragau, son of Phaleg, son of Heber, son of Sale,

qui fuit Cainan, qui fuit Arphaxad, qui fuit Sem, qui fuit Noë, qui fuit Lamech,

Who was of Cainan, who was of Arphaxad, who was of Sem, who was of Noe, who was of Lamech,

son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Sem, son of Noe, son of Lamech,

qui fuit Methusale, qui fuit Henoch, qui fuit Jared, qui fuit Malaleel, qui fuit Cainan,

Who was of Mathusale, who was of Henoch, who was of Jared, who was of Malaleel, who was of Cainan,

son of Methusale, son of Henoch, son of Jared, son of Malaleel, son of Cainan,

qui fuit Henos, qui fuit Seth, qui fuit Adam, qui fuit Dei.

Who was of Henos, who was of Seth, who was of Adam, who was of God.

son of Henos, son of Seth, son of Adam, who was the son of God.