Matthew 11:7-30

Jesus' Tribute to John

7 As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, "What did you go out into ¹the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

8 "But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings' palaces!

9 "But what did you go out to see? ²A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet.

10 "This is the one about whom it is written, '³BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.'

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 least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

12 "⁴From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men 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 ⁵Elijah who was to come.

15 "⁶He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

16 "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, 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 mourn.'

18 "For John came neither ⁷eating nor ⁸drinking, and they say, '⁹He has a demon!'

19 "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, ¹⁰a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."

The Unrepenting Cities

20 Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His ¹¹miracles were done, because they did not repent.

21 "¹²Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, ¹³Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in ¹⁴Tyre and ¹⁵Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in ¹⁶sackcloth and ashes.

22 "Nevertheless I say to you, ¹⁷it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in ¹⁸the day of judgment than for you.

23 "And you, ¹⁹Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will ²⁰descend to ²¹Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in ²²Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day.

24 "Nevertheless I say to you that ²³it will be more tolerable for the land of ²⁴Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you."

Come to Me

25 ²⁵At that time Jesus said, "I praise You, ²⁶Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that ²⁷You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.

26 "Yes, ²⁸Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.

27 "²⁹All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father ³⁰except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

28 "³¹Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

29 "Take My yoke upon you and ³²learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and ³³YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.

30 "For ³⁴My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

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Cross References 34

1. Matthew 3:1
2. Matthew 14:5; Matthew 21:26; Luke 1:76; Luke 20:6
3. Malachi 3:1; Mark 1:2
4. Luke 16:16
5. Malachi 4:5; Matthew 17:10-13; Mark 9:11-13; Luke 1:17; John 1:21
6. Revelation 13:9, 43">Matt Revelation 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8; Luke 14:35; Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; Revelation 3:6, 13, 22; Revelation 13:9
7. Matthew 3:4
8. Luke 1:15
9. Matthew 9:34; John 7:20; John 8:48f, 52; John 10:20
10. Matthew 9:11; Luke 5:29-32; Luke 15:2
11. Luke 10:13-15
12. Matthew 11:21-23: {Luke 10:13-15}
13. Mark 6:45; Mark 8:22; Luke 9:10; John 1:44; John 12:21
14. Matthew 11:22; Matthew 15:21; Mark 3:8; Mark 7:24, 31; Luke 4:26; Luke 6:17; Acts 12:20; Acts 27:3
15. Matthew 11:22; Matthew 15:21; Mark 3:8; Mark 7:24, 31; Luke 4:26; Luke 6:17; Acts 12:20; Acts 27:3
16. Revelation 11:3
17. Matthew 10:15; Matthew 11:24
18. Matthew 10:15; Matthew 12:36; Revelation 20:11, 12
19. Matthew 4:13
20. Isaiah 14:13, 15; Ezekiel 26:20; Ezekiel 31:14; Ezekiel 32:18, 24
21. Matthew 16:18; Luke 10:15; Luke 16:23; Acts 2:27, 31; Revelation 1:18; Revelation 6:8; Revelation 20:13
22. Matthew 10:15
23. Matthew 10:15; Matthew 11:22
24. Matthew 10:15
25. Matthew 11:25-27: {Luke 10:21, 22}
26. Luke 22:42; Luke 23:34; John 11:41; John 12:27, 28
27. Psalms 8:2; 1 Corinthians 1:26f
28. Luke 22:42; Luke 23:34; John 11:41; John 12:27, 28
29. Matthew 28:18; John 3:35; John 13:3; John 17:2
30. John 7:29; John 10:15; John 17:25
31. Jeremiah 31:25; John 7:37
32. John 13:15; Ephesians 4:20; Philippians 2:5; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6
33. Jeremiah 6:16
34. 1 John 5:3

Footnotes 20

[a]. Or "Well then,"
[b]. Lit "houses"
[c]. Or "Well then,"
[d]. Lit "has been written"
[e]. Lit "before your face"
[f]. Or "less"
[g]. Or "is forcibly entered"
[h]. Or "seize it for themselves"
[i]. Or "is going to come"
[j]. Or "hear!" Or "listen!"
[k]. Lit "beat the breast"
[l]. Or "wine-drinker"
[m]. I.e. irreligious Jews
[n]. Or "works of power"
[o]. Or "works of power"
[p]. I.e. symbols of mourning
[q]. Or "works of power"
[r]. Or "occasion"
[s]. Or "who work to exhaustion"
[t]. Or "comfortable", or "pleasant"