Matthew 11:1-19
Lexham English Bible
A Question from John the Baptist
11 And it happened that when Jesus had finished giving orders to his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and to preach in their towns. 2 Now when[a] John[b] heard in prison the deeds of Christ, he sent word[c] by his disciples 3 and[d] said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered and[e] said to them, “Go and[f] tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised, and the poor have good news announced to them.[g] 6 And whoever is not offended by me is blessed.”
7 Now as[h] these were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in the houses of kings. 9 But why did you go out? To see a prophet?[i] Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet! 10 It is this man about whom it is written:
‘Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’[j]
11 Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen one greater than John the Baptist. But the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 But from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is treated violently, and the violent claim[k] it. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it,[l] he is Elijah, the one who is going to come. 15 The one who has ears, let him hear!
16 “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces who call out to one another, 17 saying,
‘We played the flute for you and you did not dance;
we sang a lament and you did not mourn.’
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a man who is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”[m]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Matthew 11:2 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 11:2 That is, John the Baptist
- Matthew 11:2 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 11:3 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sent” in the previous verse) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 11:4 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 11:4 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“go”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 11:5 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 11:7 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“were going away”)
- Matthew 11:9 Some manuscripts have “But what did you go out to see? A prophet?”
- Matthew 11:10 A quotation from Mal 3:1; cf. Mark 1:2
- Matthew 11:12 Or “seize”
- Matthew 11:14 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 11:19 Many Greek manuscripts, including most later ones, read “children”
Matthew 11:1-19
New Living Translation
Jesus and John the Baptist
11 When Jesus had finished giving these instructions to his twelve disciples, he went out to teach and preach in towns throughout the region.
2 John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, 3 “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting,[a] or should we keep looking for someone else?”
4 Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen— 5 the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” 6 And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.[b]”
7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? 8 Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people with expensive clothes live in palaces. 9 Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. 10 John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,
‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
and he will prepare your way before you.’[c]
11 “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least person in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is! 12 And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing,[d] and violent people are attacking it. 13 For before John came, all the prophets and the law of Moses looked forward to this present time. 14 And if you are willing to accept what I say, he is Elijah, the one the prophets said would come.[e] 15 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!
16 “To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,
17 ‘We played wedding songs,
and you didn’t dance,
so we played funeral songs,
and you didn’t mourn.’
18 For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man,[f] on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”
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