Luke 7:18–35

Messengers from John the Baptist

^18stThe disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, ¹⁹calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one ^uwho is to come, or ^vshall we look for another?” ²⁰And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one ^uwho is to come, or ^vshall we look for another?’ ” ²¹In that hour ^whe healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and ^xon many who were blind he bestowed sight. ²²And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: ^ythe blind receive their sight, the lame walk, ^zlepers⁵ are cleansed, and ^athe deaf hear, ^bthe dead are raised up, ^cthe poor have good news preached to them. ²³And blessed is the one who is ^dnot offended by me.”

²⁴When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus⁶ began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out ^einto the wilderness to see? ^fA reed shaken by the wind? ²⁵What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. ²⁶What then did you go out to see? ^gA prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷This is he of whom it is written,

^h“ ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,

who will prepare your way before you.’

²⁸I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” ²⁹(ⁱWhen all the people heard this, and ^jthe tax collectors too, they declared God just,^{7 j}having been baptized with ^kthe baptism of John, ^30lbut the Pharisees and ^mthe lawyers ⁿrejected ^othe purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)

³¹“To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? ³²They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

“ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;

we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’

³³For John the Baptist has come ^peating no bread and ^qdrinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴The Son of Man has come ^reating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, ^sa friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ ³⁵Yet ^twisdom is justified by all her children.”