Matthew 11
New King James Version
John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus(A)
11 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to (B)teach and to preach in their cities.
2 (C)And when John had heard (D)in prison about the works of Christ, he [a]sent two of his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You (E)the Coming One, or do we look for another?”
4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 (F)The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and (G)the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not (H)offended because of Me.”
7 (I)As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? (J)A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, (K)and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he of whom it is written:
(L)‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’
11 “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 (M)And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 (N)For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is (O)Elijah who is to come. 15 (P)He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
16 (Q)“But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, 17 and saying:
‘We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not [b]lament.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a [c]winebibber, (R)a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ (S)But wisdom is justified by her [d]children.”
Woe to the Impenitent Cities(T)
20 (U)Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago (V)in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say to you, (W)it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, (X)who[e] are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say to you (Y)that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”
Jesus Gives True Rest(Z)
25 (AA)At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that (AB)You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent (AC)and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 27 (AD)All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. (AE)Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 Come to (AF)Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you (AG)and learn from Me, for I am [f]gentle and (AH)lowly in heart, (AI)and you will find rest for your souls. 30 (AJ)For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 11:2 NU sent by his
- Matthew 11:17 Lit. beat your breast
- Matthew 11:19 wine drinker
- Matthew 11:19 NU works
- Matthew 11:23 NU will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be
- Matthew 11:29 meek
Matthew 11
New Catholic Bible
Jesus Is the Expected Messiah[a]
Jesus and John the Baptist[b]
Chapter 11
Report to John What You Hear and See.[c] 1 When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.
2 When John who was in prison heard what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come,[d] or are we to wait for another?” 4 Jesus answered them, “Go back and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. 6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”[e]
John Is the Elijah Who Was Destined To Return.[f] 7 As John’s disciples were departing, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swaying in the wind? 8 Then what did you go out to see? Someone robed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are found in royal palaces. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written:
‘Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’
11 “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women, no one has been greater than John the Baptist, and yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.[g] 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and the violent are taking it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until the arrival of John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, John is the Elijah who was destined to return. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
16 Indecisive Children.[h]“To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another:
17 ‘We played the flute for you,
but you would not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you refused to mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! He is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ Yet wisdom is proved right by her actions.”
20 Woe to the Cities of Galilee.[i] Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his mighty deeds had been performed because they had refused to repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the mighty deeds performed in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And as for you, Capernaum:
‘Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will be cast down to the netherworld.’
For if the mighty deeds performed in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would be standing to this day. 24 But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.”
25 The Self-Revelation of Jesus.[j] At that time, Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and have revealed them to children. 26 Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
27 “All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
28 The Gentle Mastery of Christ.[k]“Come to me, all you who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 11:1 To be committed to Christ means to acknowledge him as the expected Messiah. By his words and his actions, he takes a clear position toward John and toward the Pharisees. To decide for Christ means to discover the inner life of Jesus. It is not right to proclaim the coming of the kingdom; we are invited to experience it, to experience the power of God. The following passages enable us to question ourselves about our faith.
- Matthew 11:1 In striking images John had proclaimed the time of wrath and the purification by God. Jesus himself had joined in this movement of renewal. Now the prophet is in prison, the victim of his mission. All around Jesus the enthusiasm of the crowds concerning John begins to falter. How then can they be made to acknowledge the awaited Messianic revolution consisting in the decisive judgment of the wicked and the liberation of the righteous (Mt 3:12)? But then who is the Messiah and what is the kingdom of God? One must pass from questioning to decision, to the act of faith in Jesus.
- Matthew 11:1 By letting John know that the announcement of the Prophets is being fulfilled (Isa 26:19; 29:18; 35:5f; 61:1), Jesus reassures him and places him on guard against an overly human idea of the Messiah; he encourages the Baptist to persevere in faith until the end. The kingdom of God is not to be confused with the accomplishment of our projects and our human victories; it is a gift of God.
- Matthew 11:3 The one who is to come: i.e., the Messiah. Wait for another: it is not clear whether John is uncertain about Jesus or is simply sending his disciples to Jesus.
- Matthew 11:6 Takes no offense at me: literally, “is not scandalized,” that is, for whom I am not a hindrance or stumbling block (Greek: skandalon). It is from the idea of a stumbling block on the way of goodness that “scandal” derives its moral meaning, in both the active sense of giving scandal and the passive sense of taking scandal. In current idiom, a bad example is called “scandalous” when it causes a stir.
- Matthew 11:7 Jesus eulogizes the strength of John the Baptist’s religious convictions, the austerity of his life (v. 7f), and his unique prophetic role as precursor of the kingdom of God, which for Jesus is the salvation of human beings (vv. 4-5), not political revolution or the acquisition of power.
- Matthew 11:11 John’s greatness consists primarily in his task of announcing the imminence of the kingdom of God (Mt 3:1). Yet to be a member of the kingdom is so sublime a privilege that even the least member is greater than the Baptist!
- Matthew 11:16 Indecisive children do not want to play either at a wedding when a flute is sounded or at a funeral when a dirge is sung; such are the Jews who reject the salvation that God offers them: the severity of John frightens them and the goodness of Jesus shocks them. People often hesitate as much before joy as before repentance! But the kingdom of God does not wait; God realizes here below his plan—his “Wisdom”—as the acts of John and Jesus bear witness.
- Matthew 11:20 The fate of the privileged cities of Chorazin (about two miles from Capernaum) and Bethsaida (on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee) will be worse than that of cities traditionally regarded as godless (Tyre and Sidon: Am 1:9f; 1 Sam 23; Ezek 26–28; Zec 9:2-4) or wicked (Sodom: Gen 18:16-19; Ezek 16:46-56), which did not have the opportunity to witness Jesus’ miracles and hear his preaching as had the people in most of Galilee. The people of Chorazin and Bethsaida have failed to recognize the presence of God in Jesus because they wanted to avoid penance. The same is true for the people of Capernaum, Jesus’ headquarters on the north shore of Galilee (see Mt 4:13).
- Matthew 11:25 The self-revelation of Jesus reached one of its high points in this moving prayer. It enables us to enter into the most hidden core of his life, into his innermost experiences. Between him and the Father there is an exchange of life, a profound and unique bond, a mutual commitment of their entire being—in short, an inexpressibly mysterious oneness. In the Bible, all this is summed up in the verb “know.” This is why Jesus alone can reveal to other human beings who the Father is for them.
- Matthew 11:28 Yoke and burden evoke the Mosaic Law. The law of Christ is sweet, for it is not a list of customs, obligations, and conventions but primarily the sharing of a life, an apprenticeship of love.
马太福音 11
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
约翰派门徒去见耶稣(A)
11 耶稣吩咐完了十二门徒，就离开那里，在各城里教导传道。
2 约翰在监狱里听见基督所作的，就派门徒去问他： 3 “你就是那位要来的，还是我们要等别人呢？” 4 耶稣回答他们：“你们回去，把听见和看见的都告诉约翰， 5 就是瞎的可以看见，瘸的可以走路，患痲风的得到洁净，聋的可以听见，死人复活，穷人有福音听。 6 那不被我绊倒的，就有福了。”
耶稣论到约翰(B)
7 他们走了之后，耶稣对群众讲起约翰来，说：“你们到旷野去，是要看甚么？被风吹动的芦苇吗？ 8 你们出去到底要看甚么？身穿华丽衣裳的人吗？那些穿著华丽衣裳的人，是在王宫里的。 9 那么，你们出去要看甚么？先知吗？我告诉你们，是的。他比先知重要得多了。 10 经上所记：
‘看哪，我差遣我的使者在你面前，
他必在你前头预备你的道路。’
这句话是指着他说的。 11 我实在告诉你们，妇人所生的，没有一个比施洗的约翰更大；然而天国里最小的比他还大。 12 从施洗的约翰的时候直到现在，天国不断遭受猛烈的攻击，强暴的人企图把它夺去。 13 所有的先知和律法，直到约翰为止，都说了预言。 14 如果你们肯接受，约翰就是那要来的以利亚。 15 有耳的，就应当听。
16 “我要把这世代比作甚么呢？它好象一些小孩子坐在市中心，呼叫别的小孩子， 17 说：
‘我们给你们吹笛子，你们却不跳舞；
我们唱哀歌，你们也不捶胸。’
18 约翰来了，不吃也不喝，人说他是鬼附的； 19 人子来了，又吃又喝，人却说：‘你看，这人贪食好酒，与税吏和罪人为友。’但智慧借着它所作的，就证实是公义的了。”
责备不肯悔改的城(C)
20 那时，耶稣开始责备那些他曾在那里行过许多神迹的城，因为它们不肯悔改： 21 “哥拉逊啊，你有祸了！伯赛大啊，你有祸了！在你们那里行过的神迹，如果行在推罗和西顿，它们早已披麻蒙灰悔改了。 22 但我告诉你们，在审判的日子，推罗和西顿所受的，比你们还轻呢。 23 迦百农啊！
你会被高举到天上吗？
你必降到阴间。
在你那里行过的神迹，如果行在所多玛，那城还会存留到今天。 24 但我告诉你们，在审判的日子，所多玛那地方所受的，比你还轻呢。”
劳苦者可得安息(D)
25 就在那时候，耶稣说：“父啊，天地的主，我赞美你，因为你把这些事向智慧和聪明的人隐藏起来，却向婴孩显明。 26 父啊，是的，这就是你的美意。 27 我父已经把一切交给我；除了父没有人认识子，除了子和子所愿意启示的人，没有人认识父。 28 你们所有劳苦担重担的人哪，到我这里来吧！我必使你们得安息。 29 我心里柔和谦卑，你们应当负我的轭，向我学习，你们就必得着心灵的安息； 30 我的轭是容易负的，我的担子是轻省的。”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.