Questions from John the Baptist

11 ^[a](A)Now it happened that when Jesus had finished ^[b]giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there ^(B)to teach and ^[c]preach in their cities.

^2 (C)Now when ^(D)John in prison heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples ³ and said to Him, “Are You ^(E)the One who is to come, or shall we look for someone else?” ⁴ And Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: ^5 (F)the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the ^(G)poor have the ^[d]gospel preached to them. ⁶ And blessed is he ^[e]who ^(H)does not ^[f]take offense at Me.”

Jesus’ Tribute to John the Baptist

⁷ Now as these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into ^(I)the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ^8 [g]But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ ^[h]palaces! ^9 [i]But what did you go out to see? ^(J)A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is the one about whom it ^[j]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 ^[l]least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ^12 (L)And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven ^[m]suffers violence, and violent men ^[n]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 ^(M)Elijah who ^[o]was to come. ^15 (N)He who has ears to hear, ^[p]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 dirge, and you did not ^[q]mourn.’ ¹⁸ For John came neither ^(O)eating nor ^(P)drinking, and they say, ‘^(Q)He has a demon!’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a ^[r]drunkard, ^(R)a friend of tax collectors and ^[s]sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated ^[t]by her deeds.”