Final Admonition

4 “^[a]For behold, the day is coming, ^(A)burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be ^(B)chaff; and the day that is coming will ^(C)set them ablaze,” says the Lord of armies, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branches. ² But for you who ^[b]fear My name, the ^(D)sun of righteousness will rise with ^(E)healing in its wings; and you will go forth and ^(F)frolic like calves from the stall. ³ And you will ^(G)crush the wicked underfoot, for they will be ^(H)ashes under the soles of your feet ^(I)on the day ^[c]that I am preparing,” says the Lord of armies.

⁴ “^(J)Remember the Law of Moses My servant, the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel.

⁵ “Behold, I am going to send you ^(K)Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. ⁶ He will ^(L)turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and ^(M)strike the land with complete destruction.”

^2 (A)Now while in prison, ^(B)John heard about the works of Christ, and he sent word by his disciples, ³ and said to Him, “Are You ^(C)the Coming One, or are we to ^[a]look for someone else?” ⁴ Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: ^5 (D)those who are blind receive sight and those who limp walk, those with leprosy are cleansed and those who are deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the ^(E)poor have the ^[b]gospel preached to them. ⁶ And blessed is ^[c]any person who ^(F)does not ^[d]take offense at Me.”

Jesus’ Tribute to John

⁷ As these disciples of John were going away, Jesus began speaking to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into ^(G)the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ^8 [e]But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ ^[f]palaces! ^9 [g]But what did you go out to see? ^(H)A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is the one about whom it ^[h]is written:

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 least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² And ^(J)from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been treated violently, and violent men take 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 ^(K)Elijah who ^[j]was to come. ^15 (L)The one who has ears to hear, ^[k]let him hear.

¹⁶ “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call out to the other children, ¹⁷ and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a song of mourning, and you did not ^[l]mourn.’ ¹⁸ For John came neither ^(M)eating nor ^(N)drinking, and they say, ‘^(O)He has a demon!’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a ^[m]heavy drinker, ^(P)a friend of tax collectors and ^[n]sinners!’ And yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”