Matthew 11
11
Jesus talked about John the Baptiser
1Jesus finished talking to his 12 special workers, then he went around the towns in Galilee country. He talked to people and taught them more about God.
2At that time, John the Baptiser was in jail. But people told him about all the things that Jesus was doing. So John sent some of his own followers to ask Jesus some questions. 3They went to Jesus and said to him, “John the Baptiser has sent us to you. He wants us to ask you, ‘Are you the special man that God has sent to us? Or do we have to start looking around for somebody else?’ ”
4Jesus said, “Go back and tell John what you see here. 5Some people were blind, but now they can see. Some people were crippled, but now they can walk. Some people had a bad skin sickness, but now their skin is good again. Some people were deaf, but now they can hear. Some people were dead, but now they are alive again. And tell John that you heard us telling the good news to poor people.#Isaiah 35:5-6; 61:1 6Maybe I’m not the sort of person you thought God would send, but just trust me anyway, and God will make you happy.”
7Then the followers of John went away, and Jesus started to talk to all the people. He talked to them about John. He said, “You know, you went out into the bush to see John. What sort of man did you think you would see? You didn’t go out there to see a man that is weak, like grass that goes any way the wind pushes it. 8And you didn’t go out there to see a man wearing pretty clothes. No, men that wear pretty clothes live in the town, in good big houses. 9Did you go out there to see a man that tells people God’s messages? Yes, John the Baptiser told you God’s message, and he did something even more important than that. 10You see, a long time ago, God got one of his men to write about somebody that will get everything ready. God’s man wrote about John the Baptiser. We can read it in God’s book. This is what it says,
‘God will send a man to get everything ready for God’s special person.
That man will talk about God’s special person, and he will make a way for people to listen to him.’ ”#Malachi 3:1
11Then Jesus said, “Listen. John the Baptiser is a very important man. He is greater than any other man that ever lived. But everyone in God’s family is more important than John the Baptiser. 12You know, John started to teach some time ago, and from that time until now, God’s family has been getting bigger. There are people that really want to be friends with God, and they have been trying hard to get into his family. 13You see, before John came, God told his words and his laws to his men, and they wrote them in God’s book. And you know, that was a long time ago, but they wrote about the things that will happen now, at this time.#Luke 16:16 14Look. Try to believe this. They wrote about John, but they didn’t use that name for him. They called him Elijah.”#Malachi 4:5; Matthew 17:10-13; Mark 9:11-13
15And Jesus said, “You’ve got ears, so you have to listen to me properly, and take notice of my words.”
16Then Jesus said, “Now I’ll talk about you people that are alive today and I’ll tell you what you are like. You are like kids that are playing in the street. Some kids say to the other kids, 17‘We played happy music for you, but you didn’t dance. So we sang a sad song, but you didn’t cry. No matter what we do, you say we are wrong.’ 18Those kids are a picture of you mob. You are just like those kids. You rubbish God’s people no matter what they do. You see, John the Baptiser didn’t go to parties and eat lots of good food, and he didn’t drink wine. But you rubbished him and said, ‘He’s got a bad spirit living inside him.’ 19But sometimes I go to parties and eat good food, and sometimes I drink wine, and even though I’m God’s special man from heaven, you rubbish me too. You say, ‘He eats too much, and he drinks too much. He’s a friend of those bad men that get tax money from people and give it to the Roman government, and he’s a friend of other bad people that don’t follow the law properly.’ But really, John and me, we are both wise. And you can know if somebody is wise or not. Just look at what they do, and see if they do good things or not.”
(We have not yet translated 11:20-24. You can read that message in Luke 10:13-15.)
God shows things to people that know they are not smart
25At that time, Jesus prayed to God. He said, “Father, you are the biggest boss. You are the boss over everything in the sky and everything on the earth. There are some people here that reckon they are smart, and they reckon they understand everything. And there are other people that are just like little kids. They know that they are not smart. Thank you for showing what your message means to those people that are like kids. And thank you for not showing it to those people that reckon they are smart. 26Yes, Father, that is how you wanted to do it.”
27Then Jesus told the people, “God, my father, gave me everything, so I can teach people all about him. You see, I am God’s son, and my father knows me properly. Nobody else knows me properly. And I know my father properly. I pick some people, and I show them what my father is like, but nobody else knows God properly.”#John 3:35; 1:18; 10:15
Jesus is good to his workers
28Then Jesus said to the people, “Come to me, all of you mob that are tired. You did a lot of ceremony things to get God to save you, but that is not the right way. It’s like you worked hard, and you carried a lot of heavy things, and then you got too tired. Look, instead of that, just come and work for me, and I will let you rest really good. 29Be my follower and work for me. Listen to the things I teach you, and you will feel good inside yourselves, like your spirit is resting. You see, I am not a big tough boss. I will be easy on you.#Jeremiah 6:16 30I will never ask you to do things that are too hard for you.”
Currently Selected:
Matthew 11: PEV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 2021, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. All rights reserved.
Matthew 11
11
A Question from John the Baptist
1 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. 2Now when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal John#That is, John the Baptist heard in prison the deeds of Christ, he sent word#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation by his disciples 3and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sent” in the previous verse) has been translated as a finite verb said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” 4And Jesus answered and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb said to them, “Go and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“go”) has been translated as a finite verb tell John what you hear and see: 5the 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.#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation 6And whoever is not offended by me is blessed.”
7Now as#*Here “as” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“were going away”) 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? 8But 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. 9But why did you go out? To see a prophet?#Some manuscripts have “But what did you go out to see? A prophet?” Yes, I tell you, and even more than a prophet! 10It is this man about whom it is written:
‘Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’#A quotation from Mal 3:1; cf. Mark 1:2
11Truly 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. 12But from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is treated violently, and the violent claim#Or “seize” it. 13For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, 14and if you are willing to accept it,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation he is Elijah, the one who is going to come. 15The 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, 17saying,
‘We played the flute for you and you did not dance;
we sang a lament and you did not mourn.’
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 who is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”#Many Greek manuscripts, including most later ones, read “children”
Woes Pronounced on Unrepentant Towns
20Then he began to reproach the towns in which the majority of his miracles had been done, because they did not repent: 21“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22Nevertheless I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and for Sidon on the day of judgment than for you! 23And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until today. 24Nevertheless I tell you that it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you!”
A Yoke That Is Easy
25At that time Jesus answered and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to young children.#Or perhaps “to the childlike,” or “to the innocent” 26Yes, Father, for to do so was your gracious will.#Literally “was pleasing before you” 27All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom#Literally “to whomever” the Son wants to reveal him.#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation 28Come to me, all of you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke on you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy to carry and my burden is light.”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2010 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software