1And it came to pass, when Jesus finished directing His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.

2And John having heard in the prison the works of the Christ, having sent two of his disciples, 3said to Him, “Are You He who is coming, or do we look for another?” 4And Jesus answering said to them, “Having gone, declare to John the things that you hear and see, 5blind receive sight, and lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and deaf hear, dead are raised, and poor have good news proclaimed, 6and blessed is he who may not be stumbled in Me.”

7And as they are going, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, “What did you go out to the wilderness to view? A reed shaken by the wind? 8But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold, those wearing the soft things are in the kings’ houses. 9But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet,

10for this is he of whom it has been written: Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.

11Truly I say to you, there has not risen, among those born of women, [one] greater than John the Immerser, but he who is least in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he. 12And from the days of John the Immerser until now, the kingdom of the heavens suffers violence, and violent men seize it by force, 13for all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14and if you are willing to receive [it], he is Elijah who was about to come; 15he who is having ears to hear—let him hear.

16And to what will I liken this generation? It is like little children in marketplaces, sitting and calling to others, 17and saying, We piped to you, and you did not dance, we lamented to you, and you did not strike the breast. 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a demon; 19the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a man, a glutton, and a wine-drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners; and wisdom was justified of her children.”

20Then He began to reproach the cities in which were done most of His mighty works, because they did not convert. 21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! Because, if in Tyre and Sidon had been done the mighty works that were done in you, long ago in sackcloth and ashes they had converted; 22but I say to you, to Tyre and Sidon it will be more tolerable in [the] day of judgment than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, which were exalted to Heaven, will be brought down to Hades, because if the mighty works that were done in you had been done in Sodom, it had remained to this day; 24but I say to you, to the land of Sodom it will be more tolerable in [the] day of judgment than to you.”

25At that time Jesus answering said, “I confess to You, Father, Lord of the heavens and of the earth, that You hid these things from wise and understanding ones, and revealed them to babies. 26Yes, Father, because so it was good pleasure before You. 27All things were delivered to Me by My Father, and none know the Son, except the Father, nor does any know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son may resolve to reveal [Him].

28Come to Me, all you laboring and burdened ones, and I will give you rest; 29take up My yoke on you, and learn from Me, because I am meek and humble in heart, and you will find rest to your souls, 30for My yoke [is] easy, and My burden is light.”