Matthew 11

Chapter 11

John’s Questions

^1aWhen Jesus had finished ¹giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there ^bto teach and ²preach in their cities.

^2aNow when ^bJohn, ¹while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples

³and said to Him, “Are You ^athe ¹Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?”

⁴Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see:

^5athe blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the ^bpoor have the ¹gospel preached to them.

⁶“And blessed is he ¹who ^adoes not ²take offense at Me.”

Jesus’ Tribute to John

⁷As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into ^athe wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

⁸“¹But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ ²palaces!

⁹“¹But what did you go out to see? ^aA prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet.

¹⁰“This is the one about whom it ¹is written,

‘^aBehold, I send My messenger ²ahead of You,

Who will prepare Your way before You.’

¹¹“Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is ¹least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

¹²“^aFrom the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven ¹suffers violence, and violent men ²take it by force.

¹³“For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John.

¹⁴“And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is ^aElijah who ¹was to come.

¹⁵“^aHe who has ears to hear, ¹let him hear.

¹⁶“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children,

¹⁷and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not ¹mourn.’

¹⁸“For John came neither ^aeating nor ^bdrinking, and they say, ‘^cHe has a demon!’

¹⁹“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a ¹drunkard, ^aa friend of tax collectors and ²sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

The Unrepenting Cities

²⁰Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His ^1amiracles were done, because they did not repent.

²¹“^aWoe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, ^bBethsaida! For if the ¹miracles had occurred in ^cTyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in ^2dsackcloth and ashes.

²²“Nevertheless I say to you, ^ait will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in ^bthe day of judgment than for you.

²³“And you, ^aCapernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will ^bdescend to ^cHades; for if the ¹miracles had occurred in ^dSodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day.

²⁴“Nevertheless I say to you that ^ait will be more tolerable for the land of ^bSodom in the day of judgment, than for you.”

Come to Me

^25aAt that ¹time Jesus said, “I praise You, ^bFather, Lord of heaven and earth, that ^cYou have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.

²⁶“Yes, ^aFather, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.

²⁷“^aAll things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father ^bexcept the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

²⁸“^aCome to Me, all ¹who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹“Take My yoke upon you and ^alearn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and ^byou will find rest for your souls.

³⁰“For ^aMy yoke is ¹easy and My burden is light.”