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Matthew 11
New Catholic Bible
Matthew 11
New Catholic Bible
Jesus Is the Expected Messiah[a]
Jesus and John the Baptist[b]
Chapter 11
Report to John What You Hear and See.[c] 1 When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.
2 When John who was in prison heard what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come,[d] or are we to wait for another?” 4 Jesus answered them, “Go back and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. 6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”[e]
John Is the Elijah Who Was Destined To Return.[f] 7 As John’s disciples were departing, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swaying in the wind? 8 Then what did you go out to see? Someone robed in fine clothing? Those who wear fine clothing are found in royal palaces. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written:
‘Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’
11 “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women, no one has been greater than John the Baptist, and yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.[g] 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and the violent are taking it by force. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until the arrival of John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, John is the Elijah who was destined to return. 15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
16 Indecisive Children.[h]“To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another:
17 ‘We played the flute for you,
but you would not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you refused to mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! He is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ Yet wisdom is proved right by her actions.”
20 Woe to the Cities of Galilee.[i] Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his mighty deeds had been performed because they had refused to repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the mighty deeds performed in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And as for you, Capernaum:
‘Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will be cast down to the netherworld.’
For if the mighty deeds performed in your midst had been done in Sodom, it would be standing to this day. 24 But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.”
25 The Self-Revelation of Jesus.[j] At that time, Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and have revealed them to children. 26 Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
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 those to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
28 The Gentle Mastery of Christ.[k]“Come to me, all you who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 11:1 To be committed to Christ means to acknowledge him as the expected Messiah. By his words and his actions, he takes a clear position toward John and toward the Pharisees. To decide for Christ means to discover the inner life of Jesus. It is not right to proclaim the coming of the kingdom; we are invited to experience it, to experience the power of God. The following passages enable us to question ourselves about our faith.
- Matthew 11:1 In striking images John had proclaimed the time of wrath and the purification by God. Jesus himself had joined in this movement of renewal. Now the prophet is in prison, the victim of his mission. All around Jesus the enthusiasm of the crowds concerning John begins to falter. How then can they be made to acknowledge the awaited Messianic revolution consisting in the decisive judgment of the wicked and the liberation of the righteous (Mt 3:12)? But then who is the Messiah and what is the kingdom of God? One must pass from questioning to decision, to the act of faith in Jesus.
- Matthew 11:1 By letting John know that the announcement of the Prophets is being fulfilled (Isa 26:19; 29:18; 35:5f; 61:1), Jesus reassures him and places him on guard against an overly human idea of the Messiah; he encourages the Baptist to persevere in faith until the end. The kingdom of God is not to be confused with the accomplishment of our projects and our human victories; it is a gift of God.
- Matthew 11:3 The one who is to come: i.e., the Messiah. Wait for another: it is not clear whether John is uncertain about Jesus or is simply sending his disciples to Jesus.
- Matthew 11:6 Takes no offense at me: literally, “is not scandalized,” that is, for whom I am not a hindrance or stumbling block (Greek: skandalon). It is from the idea of a stumbling block on the way of goodness that “scandal” derives its moral meaning, in both the active sense of giving scandal and the passive sense of taking scandal. In current idiom, a bad example is called “scandalous” when it causes a stir.
- Matthew 11:7 Jesus eulogizes the strength of John the Baptist’s religious convictions, the austerity of his life (v. 7f), and his unique prophetic role as precursor of the kingdom of God, which for Jesus is the salvation of human beings (vv. 4-5), not political revolution or the acquisition of power.
- Matthew 11:11 John’s greatness consists primarily in his task of announcing the imminence of the kingdom of God (Mt 3:1). Yet to be a member of the kingdom is so sublime a privilege that even the least member is greater than the Baptist!
- Matthew 11:16 Indecisive children do not want to play either at a wedding when a flute is sounded or at a funeral when a dirge is sung; such are the Jews who reject the salvation that God offers them: the severity of John frightens them and the goodness of Jesus shocks them. People often hesitate as much before joy as before repentance! But the kingdom of God does not wait; God realizes here below his plan—his “Wisdom”—as the acts of John and Jesus bear witness.
- Matthew 11:20 The fate of the privileged cities of Chorazin (about two miles from Capernaum) and Bethsaida (on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee) will be worse than that of cities traditionally regarded as godless (Tyre and Sidon: Am 1:9f; 1 Sam 23; Ezek 26–28; Zec 9:2-4) or wicked (Sodom: Gen 18:16-19; Ezek 16:46-56), which did not have the opportunity to witness Jesus’ miracles and hear his preaching as had the people in most of Galilee. The people of Chorazin and Bethsaida have failed to recognize the presence of God in Jesus because they wanted to avoid penance. The same is true for the people of Capernaum, Jesus’ headquarters on the north shore of Galilee (see Mt 4:13).
- Matthew 11:25 The self-revelation of Jesus reached one of its high points in this moving prayer. It enables us to enter into the most hidden core of his life, into his innermost experiences. Between him and the Father there is an exchange of life, a profound and unique bond, a mutual commitment of their entire being—in short, an inexpressibly mysterious oneness. In the Bible, all this is summed up in the verb “know.” This is why Jesus alone can reveal to other human beings who the Father is for them.
- Matthew 11:28 Yoke and burden evoke the Mosaic Law. The law of Christ is sweet, for it is not a list of customs, obligations, and conventions but primarily the sharing of a life, an apprenticeship of love.
Matthew 11
New Century Version
Matthew 11
New Century Version
Jesus and John the Baptist
11 After Jesus finished telling these things to his twelve followers, he left there and went to the towns in Galilee to teach and preach.
2 John the Baptist was in prison, but he heard about what the Christ was doing. So John sent some of his followers to Jesus. 3 They asked him, “Are you the One who is to come, or should we wait for someone else?”
4 Jesus answered them, “Go tell John what you hear and see: 5 The blind can see, the crippled can walk, and people with skin diseases are healed. The deaf can hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor. 6 Those who do not stumble in their faith because of me are blessed.”
7 As John’s followers were leaving, Jesus began talking to the people about John. Jesus said, “What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed[a] blown by the wind? 8 What did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes live in kings’ palaces. 9 So why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, and I tell you, John is more than a prophet. 10 This was written about him:
‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare the way for you.’ Malachi 3:1
11 I tell you the truth, John the Baptist is greater than any other person ever born, but even the least important person in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. 12 Since the time John the Baptist came until now, the kingdom of heaven has been going forward in strength, and people have been trying to take it by force. 13 All the prophets and the law of Moses told about what would happen until the time John came. 14 And if you will believe what they said, you will believe that John is Elijah, whom they said would come. 15 Let those with ears use them and listen!
16 “What can I say about the people of this time? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace, who call out to each other,
17 ‘We played music for you, but you did not dance;
we sang a sad song, but you did not cry.’
18 John came and did not eat or drink like other people. So people say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came, eating and drinking, and people say, ‘Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine, and he is a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved to be right by what she does.”
Jesus Warns Unbelievers
20 Then Jesus criticized the cities where he did most of his miracles, because the people did not change their lives and stop sinning. 21 He said, “How terrible for you, Korazin! How terrible for you, Bethsaida! If the same miracles I did in you had happened in Tyre and Sidon,[b] those people would have changed their lives a long time ago. They would have worn rough cloth and put ashes on themselves to show they had changed. 22 But I tell you, on the Judgment Day it will be better for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum,[c] will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be thrown down to the depths. If the miracles I did in you had happened in Sodom,[d] its people would have stopped sinning, and it would still be a city today. 24 But I tell you, on the Judgment Day it will be better for Sodom than for you.”
Jesus Offers Rest to People
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the people who are wise and smart. But you have shown them to those who are like little children. 26 Yes, Father, this is what you really wanted.
27 “My Father has given me all things. No one knows the Son, except the Father. And no one knows the Father, except the Son and those whom the Son chooses to tell.
28 “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. 29 Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. 30 The burden that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light.”
Footnotes
- 11:7 reed It means that John was not ordinary or weak like grass blown by the wind.
- 11:21 Tyre and Sidon Towns where wicked people lived.
- 11:21, 23 Korazin . . . Bethsaida . . . Capernaum Towns by Lake Galilee where Jesus preached to the people.
- 11:23 Sodom A city that God destroyed because the people were so evil.
Matthew 11
King James Version
Matthew 11
King James Version
11 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
17 And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 11
New International Version
Matthew 11
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)
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
New Century Version (NCV) 
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.