Matthew 11-13

Amplified Bible

John’s Questions

11 When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and to preach in their [Galilean] cities.

² Now when ^[a]John [the Baptist] in prison heard about the activities of Christ, he sent word by his disciples^{(A) 3} and asked Him, “Are You the Expected One (the Messiah), or should we look for someone else [who will be the promised One]?”^{(B) 4} Jesus answered, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ the blind receive [their] sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed [by healing] and the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.^{(C) 6} And blessed [joyful, favored by God] is he who does not take offense at Me [accepting Me as the Messiah and trusting confidently in My message of salvation].”^(D)

Jesus’ Tribute to John

⁷ As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out in the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind [which is commonplace]? ⁸ What did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing [entirely unsuited for the harsh desert]? Those who wear soft clothing are in the palaces of kings! ⁹ But what did you [really] go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one [more eminent, more remarkable, and] ^[b]far more than a prophet [who foretells the future]. ¹⁰ This is the one of whom it is written [by the prophet Malachi],

¹¹ I assure you and most solemnly say to you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater [in privilege] than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize]. ¹³ For all the prophets and the Law prophesied up until John. ¹⁴ And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is [the fulfillment of] Elijah [as the messenger] who was to come [before the kingdom].^{(F) 15} He who has ears to hear, let him hear and heed My words.

¹⁶ “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like little children sitting in the market places, who call to the others, ¹⁷ and say ‘We piped the flute for you [playing wedding], and you did not dance; we wailed sad dirges [playing funeral], and you did not mourn and cry aloud.’ ¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking [with others], and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking [with others], and they say, ‘Look! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners [including non-observant Jews]!’ Yet wisdom is justified and vindicated by her deeds [in the lives of those who respond to Me].”

The Unrepenting Cities

²⁰ Then He began to denounce [the people in] the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent [and change their hearts and lives]. ²¹ “Woe (judgment is coming) to you, ^[c]Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon [cities of the Gentiles], they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes [their hearts would have been changed and they would have expressed sorrow for their sin and rebellion against God]. ²² Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for [the pagan cities of] Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum, are you to be exalted to heaven [for your apathy and unresponsiveness]? You will descend to Hades (the realm of the dead); for if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ²⁴ But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment, than for you.”

Come to Me

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth [I openly and joyfully acknowledge Your great wisdom], that You have hidden these things [these spiritual truths] from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants [to new believers, to those seeking God’s will and purpose]. ²⁶ Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. ²⁷ All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Son except the Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son [deliberately] wills to reveal Him.

²⁸ “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls.^{(G) 30} For My yoke is easy [to bear] and My burden is light.”

Sabbath Questions

12 At that particular time Jesus went through the grainfields on the ^[d]Sabbath, and His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.^{(H) 2} But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what ^[e]is unlawful on the Sabbath.”^{(I) 3} He said to them, “Have you not read [in the Scriptures] what David did when he was hungry, he and those who accompanied him—^{(J) 4} how he went into the house of God, and they ate the ^[f]consecrated bread, which was not lawful for him to eat nor for those with him, but for the priests only? ⁵ Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break [the sanctity of] the Sabbath and yet are innocent?^{(K) 6} But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. ⁷ And if you had only known what this statement means, ‘I desire compassion [for those in distress], ^[g]and not [animal] sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.^(L)

Lord of the Sabbath

⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

⁹ Leaving there, He went into their synagogue.^{(M) 10} A man was there whose hand was withered. And they asked Jesus, “Is it lawful and permissible to heal on the Sabbath?”—they asked this so that they might accuse Him and bring charges into court. ¹¹ But He said to them, “What man is there among you who, if he has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? ¹² How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful and permissible to do good on the Sabbath.” ¹³ Then He said to the man, “Reach out your hand!” The man reached out and it was restored, as normal and healthy as the other. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, discussing how they could destroy Him.

¹⁵ Being aware of this, Jesus left there. Many followed Him, and He healed all of them [who were sick], ¹⁶ and warned them not to tell [publicly] who He was. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

The Pharisees Rebuked

²² Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man both spoke and saw.^{(O) 23} All the people wondered in amazement, and said, “Could this be the Son of David (the Messiah)?” ²⁴ But the Pharisees heard it and said, “This man ^[h]casts out demons only by [the help of] Beelzebul (Satan) the prince of the demons.”

²⁵ Knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom that is divided against itself is being laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will [continue to] stand. ²⁶ If Satan casts out Satan [that is, his demons], he has become divided against himself and disunited; how then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ If I cast out the demons by [the help of] Beelzebul (Satan), by whom do your sons drive them out? For this reason they will be your judges. ²⁸ But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you [before you expected it]. ²⁹ Or how can anyone go into a strong man’s house and steal his property unless he first overpowers and ties up the strong man? Then he will ransack and rob his house.^(P)

The Unpardonable Sin

³⁰ He who is not with Me [once and for all on My side] is against Me; and he who does not [unequivocally] gather with Me scatters.^(Q)

³¹ “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy [every evil, abusive, injurious speaking, or indignity against sacred things] will be forgiven people, but ^[i]blasphemy against the [Holy] Spirit will not be forgiven. ³² Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit [by attributing the miracles done by Me to Satan] will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.^(R)

Words Reveal Character

³³ “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is recognized and judged by its fruit. ³⁴ You brood of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. ³⁵ The good man, from his [inner] good treasure, brings out good things; and the evil man, from his [inner] evil treasure, brings out evil things. ³⁶ But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak. ³⁷ For by your words [reflecting your spiritual condition] you will be justified and acquitted of the guilt of sin; and by your words [rejecting Me] you will be condemned and sentenced.”

The Desire for Signs

³⁸ Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign (attesting miracle) from You [proving that You are what You claim to be].” ³⁹ But He replied and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation [that is morally unfaithful to God] craves and demands a [miraculous] sign; but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah;^{(S) 40} for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.^{(T) 41} The men of Nineveh will stand up [as witnesses] at the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now, something greater than Jonah is here.^{(U) 42} The Queen of the South (Sheba) will stand up [as a witness] at the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and now, something greater than Solomon is here.^(V)

⁴³ “Now when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through waterless (dry, arid) places in search of rest, but it does not find it. ⁴⁴ Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. And the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. So will it also be with this wicked generation.”

Changed Relationships

⁴⁶ While He was still talking to the crowds, it happened that His mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to Him.^{(W) 47} Someone said to Him, “Look! Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside asking to speak to You.” ⁴⁸ But Jesus replied to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” ⁴⁹ And stretching out His hand toward His disciples [and all His other followers], He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! ⁵⁰ For ^[j]whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven [by believing in Me, and following Me] is My brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus Teaches in Parables

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting beside the sea [of Galilee].^{(X) 2} But such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat there [positioning Himself as a teacher], while the whole crowd stood on the shore.

³ He told them many things in ^[k]parables, saying, “Listen carefully: a sower went out to sow [seed in his field]; ⁴ and as he sowed, some seed fell beside the road [between the fields], and the birds came and ate it. ⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil; and at once they sprang up because they had no depth of soil. ⁶ But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, and thorns came up and choked them out. ⁸ Other seed fell on good soil and yielded grain, some a hundred times as much [as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty. ⁹ He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words.”

An Explanation

¹⁰ Then the disciples came to Him and asked, “Why do You speak to the crowds in parables?” ¹¹ Jesus replied to them, “To you it has been granted to know the ^[l]mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.^{(Y) 12} For whoever has [spiritual wisdom because he is receptive to God’s word], to him more will be given, and he will be richly and abundantly supplied; but whoever does not have [spiritual wisdom because he has devalued God’s word], even what he has will be taken away from him.^{(Z) 13} This is the reason I speak to the crowds in parables: because while [having the power of] seeing they do not see, and while [having the power of] hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand and grasp [spiritual things]. ¹⁴ In them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

¹⁶ But blessed [spiritually aware, and favored by God] are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.^{(AB) 17} I assure you and most solemnly say to you, many prophets and righteous men [who were honorable and in right standing with God] longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Sower Explained

¹⁸ “Listen then to the [meaning of the] parable of the sower:^{(AC) 19} When anyone hears the word of the kingdom [regarding salvation] and does not understand and grasp it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. ²⁰ The one on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and at once welcomes it with joy; ²¹ yet he has no [substantial] root in himself, but is only temporary, and when pressure or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles and falls away [abandoning the One who is the source of salvation]. ²² And the one on whom seed was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the worries and distractions of the world and the deceitfulness [the superficial pleasures and delight] of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit. ²³ And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands and grasps it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, some a hundred times [as much as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.”^(AD)

Weeds among Wheat

²⁴ Jesus gave them another parable [to consider], saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed ^[m]weeds [resembling wheat] among the wheat, and went away. ²⁶ So when the plants sprouted and formed grain, the weeds appeared also. ²⁷ The servants of the owner came to him and said, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how does it have weeds in it?’ ²⁸ He replied to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants asked him, ‘Then do you want us to go and pull them out?’ ²⁹ But he said, ‘No; because as you pull out the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First gather the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

The Mustard Seed

³¹ He gave them another parable [to consider], saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;^{(AE) 32} and of all the seeds [planted in the region] it is the smallest, but when it has grown it is the largest of the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air find shelter in its branches.”^(AF)

The Leaven

³³ He told them another parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like ^[n]leaven, which a woman took and worked into three ^[o]measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”^(AG)

³⁴ All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables, and He said nothing to them without [using] a parable. ³⁵ This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:

The Weeds Explained

³⁶ Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him saying, “Explain [clearly] to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” ³⁷ He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, ³⁸ and the field is the world; and [as for] the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one; ³⁹ and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. ⁴⁰ So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend [those things by which people are led into sin], and all who practice evil [leading others into sin], ⁴² and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger]. ⁴³ Then the righteous [those who seek the will of God] will shine forth [radiating the new life] like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words.^(AI)

Hidden Treasure

⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like a [very precious] treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field [securing the treasure for himself].

A Costly Pearl

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, ⁴⁶ and upon finding a single pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

A Dragnet

⁴⁷ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet which was lowered into the sea, and gathered fish of every kind, ⁴⁸ and when it was full, they dragged it up on the beach; and they sat down and sorted out the good fish into baskets, but the worthless ones they threw away. ⁴⁹ So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous ⁵⁰ and throw the wicked into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger].

⁵¹ “Have you understood all these things [in the lessons of the parables]?” They said to Jesus, “Yes.” ⁵² He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household, who brings out of his ^[p]treasure things that are new and fresh and things that are old and familiar.”

Jesus Revisits Nazareth

⁵³ When Jesus had finished these parables, He left there. ⁵⁴ And after coming to [Nazareth] His hometown, He began teaching them in their synagogue, and they were astonished, and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers [what is the source of His authority]?^{(AJ) 55} Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And are not His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶ And His sisters, are they not [living here] among us? Where then did this Man get all this [wisdom and power]?” ⁵⁷ And they took offense at Him [refusing to believe in Him]. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” ⁵⁸ And He did not do many miracles there [in Nazareth] because of their unbelief.