1 When Jesus had made an
end of giving his twelve disciples
their instructions, he
departed thence to go and
preach to the Jews in their
cities:
2 in the mean time
John having heard in his
confinement of the actions of
Christ, he sent two of his
disciples to ask him,
3 art thou
he that was to come, or
must we expect another?
4 Jesus answered them, go and
relate to John, what you
hear and what you see:
5 the
blind recover their sight, the
lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, the deaf hear, the
dead are raised, and the poor
have the gospel preached to
them.
6 and happy is he who
does not stumble at my appearance.
7 As they departed, Jesus
said to the people, speaking
of John, what did ye go to
see in the desert? a reed
shaken with the wind?
8 what
did ye go to see? a man
dress'd in rich apparel?
why, they that are so array'd
belong to the court:
9 or did
you go to see a prophet? yes,
and be assured, one superiour
to a prophet.
10 for it is he
that is meant in that passage,
note “behold, I send my messenger
before thy face,
who shall prepare thy way
-- --
before thee.”
11 I declare
unto you, among the whole
race of prophets, there never
appear'd a greater
than John the Baptist: (notwithstanding,
he that is
least in the kingdom of the
12 Messiah is greater than he.)
for ever since the appearance
of John the Baptist
the gospel kingdom is as it
were invaded, and people of
the most violent passions enter
into it with zeal. note
13 for
all the prophets and the law
were your guides, till the coming
of John.
14 and if ye will
believe me, he is the Elias
that was to come.
15 he that
hath ears to hear, let him
hear.
16 but to what shall I
compare this generation? they
are like children sitting in the
markets, and calling out to
their fellows,
17 “if we play
a merry tune, you are
not for dancing; if we
act a mournful part,
you are not in the humour.”
18 so John came
with fasting and abstinence,
and they say, he is mad.
19 the son of man does not abstain
from eating and drinking,
and they cry there's a
glutton, and a sot, a friend
of publicans and sinners:
“but wisdom is justified by
her children.”
-- --
20 Then he began to upbraid
the towns where most of his
miracles were wrought, for
their not being converts.
21 wo
unto thee, Chorazin, wo
unto thee, Bethsaida: for if
the miracles which were
done among you, had been
done in Tyre and Sidon, they
would have repented long
ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22 I declare unto you, Tyre and
Sidon shall be treated with
less severity at the day of
judgment than you.
23 and thou,
Capernaum, which art exalted
to heaven, shalt be
brought to destruction: for
if the miracles which have
been done in thee, had been
done in Sodom, it would have
subsisted even to this day.
24 I tell you likewise, that in
the day of judgment, Sodom
shall be treated with less severity
than you.
25 At the same time Jesus,
continuing his discourses, said,
“I thank thee, O father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for having revealed unto
babes what thou hast hid
from the wise and prudent.
26 even so it is, father, for
such has been thy will.
27 my father has instructed
me in every thing: and
no one knoweth the son,
except the father: nor
does any one know the
-- --
father, except the son,
and he to whom the son
is pleased to reveal him.”
28 Believe in me, all ye that
labour under oppression, and
I will give you relief.
29 take
my yoke upon you, and learn
to be meek like me, and of
an humble temper: and ye
shall enjoy tranquillity of
mind.
30 for my yoke is easy,
and my burden is light.
Mace [1729], THE NEW TESTAMENT IN Greek and English. Containing the ORIGINAL TEXT Corrected from the Authority of the most Authentic Manuscripts: AND A NEW VERSION Form'd agreeably to the Illustrations of the most Learned Commentators and Critics: WITH NOTES and VARIOUS READINGS, AND A Copious Alphabetical Index (Printed for J. ROBERTS [etc.], LONDON) [word count] [B11200].