Jesus and John the Baptist^(A)

11 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples,^(B) he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.^[a]

² When John,^(C) who was in prison,^(D) heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples ³ to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come,^(E) or should we expect someone else?”

⁴ Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy^[b] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.^{(F) 6} Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”^(G)

⁷ As John’s^(H) disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness^(I) to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ⁸ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. ⁹ Then what did you go out to see? A prophet?^(J) Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is the one about whom it is written:

¹¹ Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence,^[d] and violent people have been raiding it. ¹³ For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.^{(M) 14} And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.^{(N) 15} Whoever has ears, let them hear.^(O)

¹⁶ “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

¹⁸ For John came neither eating^(P) nor drinking,^(Q) and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’^(R) But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

¹² His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”^(A)

³ Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison^(A) because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,^{(B) 4} for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.”^(C)

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John.^{(A) 7} He came as a witness to testify^(B) concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.^{(C) 8} He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

⁹ The true light^(D) that gives light to everyone^(E) was coming into the world.

John Testifies About Jesus

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God,^(A) who takes away the sin of the world!^(B)

¹⁰ Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke^(A) of the grace that was to come to you,^(B) searched intently and with the greatest care,^{(C) 11} trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ^(D) in them was pointing when he predicted^(E) the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.