1 W hen Jesus had finished His charge to His twelve disciples, He left there to teach and to preach in their cities.

And it came to pass, when Jesus ended directing his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

2 N ow when John in prison heard about the activities of Christ, he sent a message by his disciples

And John having heard in the prison the works of the Christ, having sent two of his disciples,

3 A nd asked Him, Are You the One Who was to come, or should we keep on expecting a different one?

said to him, `Art thou He who is coming, or for another do we look?'

4 A nd Jesus replied to them, Go and report to John what you hear and see:

And Jesus answering said to them, `Having gone, declare to John the things that ye hear and see,

5 T he blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed (by healing) and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have good news (the Gospel) preached to them.

blind receive sight, and lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and deaf hear, dead are raised, and poor have good news proclaimed,

6 A nd blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is he who takes no offense at Me and finds no cause for stumbling in or through Me and is not hindered from seeing the Truth.

and happy is he who may not be stumbled in me.'

7 T hen as these men went their way, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: What did you go out in the wilderness (desert) to see? A reed swayed by the wind?

And as they are going, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, `What went ye out to the wilderness to view? -- a reed shaken by the wind?

8 W hat did you go out to see then? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in the houses of kings.

`But what went ye out to see? -- a man clothed in soft garments? lo, those wearing the soft things are in the kings' houses.

9 B ut what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one '> out of the common, more eminent, more remarkable, and] superior to a prophet.

`But what went ye out to see? -- a prophet? yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet,

10 T his is the one of whom it is written, Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, who shall make ready Your way before You.

for this is he of whom it hath been written, Lo, I do send My messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.

11 T ruly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Verily I say to you, there hath not risen, among those born of women, a greater than John the Baptist, but he who is least in the reign of the heavens is greater than he.

12 A nd from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force '> share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion].

`And, from the days of John the Baptist till now, the reign of the heavens doth suffer violence, and violent men do take it by force,

13 F or all the Prophets and the Law prophesied up until John.

for all the prophets and the law till John did prophesy,

14 A nd if you are willing to receive and accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.

and if ye are willing to receive, he is Elijah who was about to come;

15 H e who has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him consider and perceive and comprehend by hearing.

he who is having ears to hear -- let him hear.

16 B ut to what shall I liken this generation? It is like little children sitting in the marketplaces who call to their playmates,

`And to what shall I liken this generation? it is like little children in market-places, sitting and calling to their comrades,

17 W e piped to you, and you did not dance; we wailed dirges, and you did not mourn and beat your breasts and weep aloud.

and saying, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance, we lamented to you, and ye did not smite the breast.

18 F or John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a demon!

`For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a demon;

19 T he Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and '> especially wicked] sinners! Yet wisdom is justified and vindicated by what she does (her deeds) and by her children.

the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Lo, a man, a glutton, and a wine-drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners, and wisdom was justified of her children.'

20 T hen He began to censure and reproach the cities in which most of His mighty works had been performed, because they did not repent.

Then began he to reproach the cities in which were done most of his mighty works, because they did not reform.

21 W oe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.

`Wo to thee, Chorazin! wo to thee, 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 reformed;

22 I tell you, it shall be more endurable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

but I say to you, to Tyre and Sidon it shall be more tolerable in a day of judgment than for you.

23 A nd you, Capernaum, are you to be lifted up to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have continued until today.

`And thou, Capernaum, which unto the heaven wast exalted, unto hades shalt be brought down, because if in Sodom had been done the mighty works that were done in thee, it had remained unto this day;

24 B ut I tell you, it shall be more endurable for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.

but I say to you, to the land of Sodom it shall be more tolerable in a day of judgment than to thee.'

25 A t that time Jesus began to say, I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth '> I acknowledge openly and joyfully to Your honor], that You have hidden these things from the wise and clever and learned, and revealed them to babies '> childish, untaught, and unskilled].

At that time Jesus answering said, `I do confess to Thee, Father, Lord of the heavens and of the earth, that thou didst hide these things from wise and understanding ones, and didst reveal them to babes.

26 Y es, Father, such was Your gracious will and good pleasure.

Yes, Father, because so it was good pleasure before Thee.

27 A ll things have been entrusted and delivered to Me by My Father; and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Son except the Father, and no one fully knows and accurately understands the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son deliberately wills to make Him known.

`All things were delivered to me by my Father, and none doth know the Son, except the Father, nor doth any know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son may wish to reveal.

28 C ome to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. '> ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]

`Come unto me, all ye labouring and burdened ones, and I will give you rest,

29 T ake My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest ( relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.

take up my yoke upon you, and learn from me, because I am meek and humble in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls,

30 F or My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.

for my yoke easy, and my burden is light.'