OrthJBC - Matthew - 3

3:1  Now in those days Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva appears, preaching, crying out as a maggid (preacher) [for the Moshiach] in the midbar (wilderness) of Yehudah,

3:2  saying, "Make teshuva, for the Malchut HaShomayim has come near."

3:3  For this is the one spoken of through Yeshayah the Navi, saying, KOL KOREY BAMIDBAR ("A voice of one shouting in the wilderness," YESHAYAH 40:3): `Prepare the Derech Hashem (the way of the L-rd). Make his paths straight!`"

3:4  Now Yochanan himself had camel-hair clothing and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was arbe (locusts) and devash (wild honey).

3:5  Then all Yerushalayim and all Yehudah and the whole region of the Yarden were going out to him.

3:6  Making vidduy (confession) [to Hashem] of their averos (sins), they were submitted to a tevilah (immersion) by him, using the Yarden River as a mikveh mayim.

3:7  But when he saw many of the Perushim and Tzedukim coming to where he was using the Yarden as a mikveh mayim, he said to them, "You yeladim of nachashim (snakes)! Who warned you to flee from the charon af [Hashem] habah (the coming burning wrath of Hashem)?

3:8  "Produce p'ri tov l'teshuva (fruit worthy of repentance)!

3:9  "Do not presume to say to yourselves, `We have the yichus (proud lineage), we have the zechut Avot (merit of the Fathers) of Avraham Avinu (our father Abraham).` For I say to you that Hashem is able to raise up from these avanim (stones) banim (sons) of Avraham.

3:10  "And already the ax is laid at the shoresh haAitzim (the root of the trees); therefore, every aitz not producing p'ri tov (good fruit) is cut down and thrown into the aish (fire).

3:11  "I give you a tevilah (immersion) in a mikveh mayim for teshuva, but Hu HaBah (He who Comes, i.e. Moshiach) after me has more koach (power) than me. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He will give you a tevilah (immersion) with the Ruach Hakodesh and aish (fire).

3:12  "The winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear out his threshing floor, and he will gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable aish (fire)." THE TEVILAH OF THE KOHEN MOSHIACH IN THE MIKVEH MAYIM OF THE YARDEN RIVER (SEE TEHILLIM 110:1-4; VAYIKRA 16:4,24; DANIEL 9:24)

3:13  Then Yehoshua comes from the Galil to the Yarden to Yochanan, to submit to Yochanan's tevilah (immersion).

3:14  But Yochanan would have deterred him, saying, "I have need to submit to your tevilah (immersion), and yet you come to me?"

3:15  But answering him, Yehoshua said, "Permit it now, for thus it is proper to fulfill all Tzidkat Hashem [DANIEL 9:24]."

3:16  And having received the tevilah in the Yarden's mikveh mayim, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach immediately came up. And--hinei!--the Shomayim were opened to him, and he saw the Ruach Hashem descending like a yonah (dove) and coming upon him.

3:17  And, hinei, a bat kol (daughter of a voice, Divine voice) came out of Shomayim, saying, ZEH BNI AHUVI ASHER BO CHAFATSTI ("This is my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased" *).