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Matthew 11-12
English Standard Version
Matthew 11-12
English Standard Version
Messengers from John the Baptist
11 When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.
2 (A)Now when John heard (B)in prison about the deeds of (C)the Christ, he sent word by (D)his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you (E)the one who is to come, or shall we (F)look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 (G)the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers[a] are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and (H)the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who (I)is not offended by me.”
7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out (J)into the wilderness to see? (K)A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man[b] dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? (L)A prophet?[c] Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written,
(M)“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’
11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 (N)From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence,[d] and the violent take it by force. 13 (O)For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is (P)Elijah who is to come. 15 (Q)He who has ears to hear,[e] let him hear.
16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,
17 “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came (R)neither eating (S)nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came (T)eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, (U)a friend of (V)tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”[f]
Woe to Unrepentant Cities
20 (W)Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 (X)“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in (Y)Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 (Z)But I tell you, it will be more bearable on (AA)the day of judgment for (AB)Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, (AC)Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to (AD)Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 (AE)But I tell you that (AF)it will be more tolerable on (AG)the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”
Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest
25 (AH)At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, (AI)Lord of heaven and earth, that (AJ)you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and (AK)revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your (AL)gracious will.[g] 27 (AM)All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son (AN)except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone (AO)to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 (AP)Come to (AQ)me, all who labor and are (AR)heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and (AS)learn from me, for I am (AT)gentle and lowly in heart, and (AU)you will find rest for your souls. 30 For (AV)my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
12 At that time (AW)Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and (AX)they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, (AY)“Look, your disciples are doing (AZ)what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 3 He said to them, (BA)“Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate (BB)the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read (BC)in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, (BD)something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known (BE)what this means, (BF)‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For (BG)the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
A Man with a Withered Hand
9 He went on from there and (BH)entered their synagogue. 10 And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, (BI)“Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—(BJ)so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, (BK)if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 (BL)Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So (BM)it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And (BN)the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
God's Chosen Servant
15 Jesus, aware of this, (BO)withdrew from there. And (BP)many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and (BQ)ordered them not to make him known. 17 (BR)This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:
18 (BS)“Behold, my (BT)servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
(BU)I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
20 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
21 (BV)and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”
Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
22 (BW)Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 (BX)And all the people were amazed, and said, (BY)“Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, (BZ)“It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 (CA)Knowing their thoughts, (CB)he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, (CC)by whom do (CD)your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is (CE)by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then (CF)the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or (CG)how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed (CH)he may plunder his house. 30 (CI)Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 (CJ)Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but (CK)the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word (CL)against the Son of Man (CM)will be forgiven, but (CN)whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in (CO)this age or in the age to come.
A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit
33 (CP)“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, (CQ)for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 (CR)You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, (CS)when you are evil? (CT)For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 (CU)The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, (CV)on the day of judgment (CW)people will give account for (CX)every careless word they speak, 37 for (CY)by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The Sign of Jonah
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, (CZ)we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, (DA)“An evil and (DB)adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For (DC)just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, (DD)so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 (DE)The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and (DF)condemn it, for (DG)they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, (DH)something greater than Jonah is here. 42 (DI)The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, (DJ)something greater than Solomon is here.
Return of an Unclean Spirit
43 “When (DK)the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through (DL)waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and (DM)the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this (DN)evil generation.”
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, (DO)his mother and his (DP)brothers[h] stood outside, asking to speak to him.[i] 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For (DQ)whoever (DR)does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 11:5 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
- Matthew 11:8 Or Why then did you go out? To see a man…
- Matthew 11:9 Some manuscripts Why then did you go out? To see a prophet?
- Matthew 11:12 Or has been coming violently
- Matthew 11:15 Some manuscripts omit to hear
- Matthew 11:19 Some manuscripts children (compare Luke 7:35)
- Matthew 11:26 Or for so it pleased you well
- Matthew 12:46 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 48, 49
- Matthew 12:46 Some manuscripts insert verse 47: Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak to you”
Matthew 11-12
New International Version
Matthew 11-12
New International Version
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:
17 “‘We played the pipe for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not mourn.’
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.”
Woe on Unrepentant Towns(S)
20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!(T) For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon,(U) they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.(V) 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.(W) 23 And you, Capernaum,(X) will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.[e](Y) For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”(Z)
The Father Revealed in the Son(AA)
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father,(AB) Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.(AC) 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
27 “All things have been committed to me(AD) by my Father.(AE) No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.(AF)
28 “Come to me,(AG) all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.(AH) 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,(AI) for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.(AJ) 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”(AK)
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath(AL)(AM)
12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain(AN) and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”(AO)
3 He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?(AP) 4 He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.(AQ) 5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath(AR) and yet are innocent? 6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.(AS) 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’[f](AT) you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man(AU) is Lord of the Sabbath.”
9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus,(AV) they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”(AW)
11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?(AX) 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep!(AY) Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.(AZ)
God’s Chosen Servant
15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill.(BA) 16 He warned them not to tell others about him.(BB) 17 This was to fulfill(BC) what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;(BD)
I will put my Spirit on him,(BE)
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
21 In his name the nations will put their hope.”[g](BF)
Jesus and Beelzebul(BG)
22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.(BH) 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”(BI)
24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul,(BJ) the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”(BK)
25 Jesus knew their thoughts(BL) and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan(BM) drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27 And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul,(BN) by whom do your people(BO) drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God(BP) has come upon you.
29 “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.(BQ) 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.(BR) 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age(BS) or in the age to come.(BT)
33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.(BU) 34 You brood of vipers,(BV) how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks(BW) what the heart is full of. 35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”(BX)
The Sign of Jonah(BY)(BZ)
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign(CA) from you.”(CB)
39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.(CC) 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish,(CD) so the Son of Man(CE) will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.(CF) 41 The men of Nineveh(CG) will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah,(CH) and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came(CI) from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.(CJ) That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers(CK)
46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother(CL) and brothers(CM) stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven(CN) is my brother and sister and mother.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 11:1 Greek in their towns
- Matthew 11:5 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
- Matthew 11:10 Mal. 3:1
- Matthew 11:12 Or been forcefully advancing
- Matthew 11:23 That is, the realm of the dead
- Matthew 12:7 Hosea 6:6
- Matthew 12:21 Isaiah 42:1-4
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.