^9 [a]But what did you go out to see? ^(A)A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is the one about whom it ^[b]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 ^(C)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 ^(D)Elijah who ^[d]was to come.

¹⁰ And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that ^(A)Elijah must come first?” ¹¹ And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; ¹² but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did ^[a]to him whatever they wanted. So also ^(B)the Son of Man is going to suffer ^[b]at their hands.”

¹⁹ Therefore ^(A)repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that ^(B)times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; ²⁰ and that He may send Jesus, the ^[a]Christ appointed for you, ^21 (C)whom heaven must receive until the ^[b]period of ^(D)restoration of all things, about which ^(E)God spoke by the mouths of His holy prophets from ancient times. ²² Moses said, ‘^(F)The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your countrymen; to Him you shall listen regarding everything He says to you. ^23 (G)And it shall be that every ^(H)soul that does not listen to that prophet ^(I)shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ ²⁴ And likewise, ^(J)all the prophets who have spoken from Samuel and his successors onward, have also announced these days. ²⁵ It is you who are ^(K)the sons of the prophets and of the ^(L)covenant which God ordained with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘^(M)And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ ²⁶ God ^(N)raised up His ^[c]Servant for you ^(O)first, and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”