Matthew 11
Christian Standard Bible
John the Baptist Doubts
11 When Jesus had finished giving instructions to his twelve disciples, he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.(A) 2 Now when John heard in prison what the Christ was doing, he sent a message through his disciples(B) 3 and asked him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (C)
4 Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news,(D) 6 and blessed is the one who isn’t offended by me.”(E)
7 As these men were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?(F) 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? See, those who wear soft clothes are in royal palaces. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.(G) 10 This is the one about whom it is written:
11 “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared,[c] but the 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 suffering violence,[d] and the violent have been seizing it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come.(I) 15 Let anyone who has ears[e] listen.(J)
An Unresponsive Generation
16 “To what should I compare this generation? It’s like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to other children:
17 We played the flute for you,
but you didn’t dance;
we sang a lament,
but you didn’t mourn![f]
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’(K) 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard,(L) a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’(M) Yet wisdom is vindicated[g] by her deeds.”[h]
20 Then he proceeded to denounce the towns where most of his miracles were done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin!(N) Woe to you, Bethsaida!(O) For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon,(P) they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes long ago. 22 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment(Q) than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will go down to Hades.(R) For if the miracles that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today. 24 But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
The Son Gives Knowledge and Rest
25 At that time Jesus said,(S) “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants.(T) 26 Yes, Father, because this was your good pleasure.[i] 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 anyone to whom the Son desires[j] to reveal him.(U)
28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.(V) 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,(W) because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.(X) 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Footnotes
- 11:5 Gk lepros; a term for various skin diseases; see Lv 13–14
- 11:10 Mal 3:1
- 11:11 Lit arisen
- 11:12 Or has been forcefully advancing
- 11:15 Other mss add to hear
- 11:17 Or beat your chests in grief
- 11:19 Or declared right
- 11:19 Other mss read children
- 11:26 Lit was well-pleasing in your sight
- 11:27 Or wills, or chooses
Mattityahu 11
Orthodox Jewish Bible
11 And it came about when he finished giving directives to his Shneym Asar Talmidim, he moved on from there, exercising the ministry of moreh (teacher) and darshan (preacher, maggid) in their shtetlach.
2 Now when Yochanan, in the beit hasohor (prison), heard of the maasei haMoshiach (works of Moshiach), he sent his talmidim to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
3 They asked him, Tell us. Are you Hu Habah (He who comes) or is our chikiah (wait) to be for the Bias (Coming) of another?
4 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach answered them, saying, Go give the report of what you see and hear to Yochanan:
5 The ivrim (blind people) see, the pisechim (lame people) walk, the metzoraim (lepers) are cleansed, the chereshim (deaf people) hear, the mesim are made to stand up alive, and the aniyim (poor) have the Besuras HaGeulah preached to them. [Isa 35:5f; 61:1]
6 Ashrey (Happy) is the one who does not find a cause of michshol (falling, stumbling) in me [as Moshiach].
7 As they were leaving, he began to speak to the multitudes about Yochanan, What did you go out into the midbar (wilderness) to see? A reed being shaken by the wind?
8 What did you go out to see? Someone shtats (imposing, impressive) in appearance, attired in soft raiment? Hinei, the ones wearing soft raiment are in houses of melachim (kings).
9 But what did you go out to see? A Navi? Ken, I tell you. And one greater than a Navi.
10 This is he about whom it has been written, HINNENI SHOLEIACH MALACHI (Behold, I will send my messenger) before your face, UPINNAH DERECH LEFANAI (and he will prepare the way before me, [SHEMOT 23:20; MALACHI 3:1]).
11 Omein, I say to you, of those born of women, there has not appeared one greater than Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva, yet the person with the least chashivut in the Malchut HaShomayim is greater than he.
12 From the days of Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva until now, the Malchut HaShomayim has been under violent attack and the violent seize it with coercion.
13 For all the Neviim and the Torah prophesied until Yochanan.
14 And, if you are willing it to be mekabel (accept, receive), he is the “Eliyahu,” who is to come [MALACHI 3:23].
15 The one having ears, let him hear.
16 But to what will I compare this generation? It is like yeladim sitting in the marketplaces, calling out to one another,
17 We played the chalil (flute) for you, but you did not dance; we sang a kina (lament, funeral dirge) for you, and you did not mourn.
18 For Yochanan came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a shed.
19 The Ben HaAdam [Moshiach] came eating and drinking, and they say, Hinei! A zolel (glutton) and a shikkor (drunkard), a friend of mochesim (tax collectors) and choteim (sinners). Yet, Chochmah (Wisdom) is vindicated by her maasim.
20 Then he began to reproach the shtetlach (villages) in which were accomplished most of his gevurot (mighty deeds), because they did not make teshuva.
21 Oy l’chah (Woe to you!), Korazin! Oy l’chah, Beit Tzaidah! For if in Tzor and Tzidon were accomplished the gevurot that were accomplished among you, they would have made teshuva long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22 Nevertheless, I say to you, it will be more bearable for Tzor and Tzidon than for you on Yom HaDin.
23 And you, Kfar-Nachum, were you lifted up as far as Shomayim? You shall be brought down as far as Sheol [YESHAYAH 14:13,15]. For if in Sdom were accomplished the gevurot that were accomplished among you, Sdom would have a sheerit (remnant) today!
24 Nevertheless, I say to you, it will be more bearable for the land of Sdom on Yom HaDin than for you.
25 At that time, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said, Modeh Ani, Avi, Adon HaShomayim vHaAretz, (I thank you, Father, L-rd of Heaven and Earth), because you hid these things from the chachamim (wise) and those with seichel, and to them they are nistar (hidden, esoteric), and you made a hisgalus (revelation) of them unto ollelim (infants).
26 Ken, Avi, for thus it was pleasing in your sight.
27 All things were given to me by Avi, and no one has daas (knowledge) of HaBen except HaAv, nor does anyone have daas of HaAv, except HaBen, and anyone to whom HaBen chooses to unveil him.
28 Come to me, all you who are burden-weary and heavy laden, and I will give you Shabbos menuchah.
29 Take my ol (yoke) upon you and learn from me, for I am anav (humble) and have shiflut (lowliness) in lev (heart), and you will find menuchah (rest, security [RUTH 1:9]) for your nefashot (souls, YIRMEYAH 6:16].
30 For my [Moshiach’s] ol (yoke) is easy and my burden is light. [See Mt 23:4]
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