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And the messengers of John having gone away, he began to say unto the multitudes concerning John: `What have ye gone forth to the wilderness to look on? a reed by the wind shaken?
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but what have ye gone forth to see? a man in soft garments clothed? lo, they in splendid apparellings, and living in luxury, are in the houses of kings!
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`But what have ye gone forth to see? a prophet? Yes, I say to you, and much more than a prophet:
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this is he concerning whom it hath been written, Lo, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee;
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for I say to you, a greater prophet, among those born of women, than John the Baptist there is not; but the least in the reign of God is greater than he.'
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And all the people having heard, and the tax-gatherers, declared God righteous, having been baptized with the baptism of John,
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but the Pharisees, and the lawyers, the counsel of God did put away for themselves, not having been baptized by him.
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And the Lord said, `To what, then, shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
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they are like to children, to those sitting in a market-place, and calling one to another, and saying, We piped to you, and ye did not dance, we mourned to you, and ye did not weep!
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`For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and ye say, He hath a demon;
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the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and ye say, Lo, a man, a glutton, and a wine drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners;