< Matthew 11 >
1 And when Jesus had made an end of giving orders to his twelve disciples, He departed from thence to teach and preach in their cities.
2 Now when John heard in prison of the works of Christ,
3 he sent two of his disciples to ask Him, Art thou He who was to come, or are we to expect another?
4 And Jesus said to them in answer, Go and tell John the things which ye hear and see:
5 the blind are restored to sight, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised to life, and the poor have the gospel preached to them:
6 and happy is the man who shall not be offended at any thing in me.
7 And as they departed, Jesus took occasion to say to the people concerning John, What went ye out into the desert to see? a reed shaken by the wind?
8 But what went ye out to see? a man clad in fine attire? they that wear rich clothes are in the palaces of kings.
9 But what did ye indeed go out to see? a prophet? Yes, verily, and one superior to a prophet.
10 For this is he, of whom it is written, "Behold I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee."
11 For I assure you that in the whole human race there hath not risen a greater than John the baptist: though the lest in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he:
12 and from the days of John the baptist to this time, the kingdom of heaven is as it were forced into, and the most pressing seize upon it with eagerness.
13 For all the prophets, and the law, did no more than prophesy, till John came:
14 and, if ye are willing to receive the truth, This is that Elias who was to come.
15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
16 But to what shall I compare this generation? they are like children sitting in the market-places,
17 and calling to their companions, and saying "We have sung and ye have not danced; we have mourned, and ye have not lamented:"
18 for John came neither eating nor drinking as others do, and they say, He is beside himself:
19 the Son of man came eating and drinking like other men, and they call Him a gluttonous man, and a wine-bibber, and a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified by her children.
20 Then began He to upbraid the cities, in which most of his miracles were wrought; because they did not repent.
21 Wo unto thee, Chorazin; wo unto thee, Bethsaida: for if the miracles wrought among you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes:
22 therefore I tell you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgement, than for you.
23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted even to heaven, shalt be cast down to hell: for if the miracles, which have been wrought in thee, had been wrought in Sodom, it would have remained unto this day. (Hadēs )
24 Moreover I tell you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement, than for thee.
25 And upon this occasion Jesus opened his mouth and said, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and knowing, and hast revealed them to babes:
26 even so, Father, for it was thy good pleasure that so it should be."
27 All things are delivered to me by my Father: and no one knoweth the Son, but the Father; nor does any one know the Father, but the Son, and he to whom the Son is pleased to reveal Him.
28 Come unto me therefore all ye who are labouring and oppressed, and I will give you ease.
29 Take but my yoke upon you, and learn of me, (for I am meek and lowly in heart, ) and ye shall find refreshment to your souls:
30 for my yoke is easy, and my burthen is light.