1 And it came to pass, when Jesus ended directing his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. 2 And John having heard in the prison the works of the Christ, having sent two of his disciples, 3 said to him, 'Art thou He who is coming, or for another do we look?' 4 And Jesus answering said to them, 'Having gone, declare to John the things that ye hear and see, 5 blind receive sight, and lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and deaf hear, dead are raised, and poor have good news proclaimed, 6 and happy is he who may not be stumbled in me.' 7 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 '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 'But what went ye out to see? — a prophet? yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet, 10 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 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 '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 for all the prophets and the law till John did prophesy, 14 and if ye are willing to receive [it], he is Elijah who was about to come; 15 he who is having ears to hear — let him hear. 16 'And to what shall I liken this generation? it is like little children in market-places, sitting and calling to their comrades, 17 and saying, We piped unto you, and ye did not dance, we lamented to you, and ye did not smite the breast. 18 'For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a demon; 19 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 Then began he to reproach the cities in which were done most of his mighty works, because they did not reform. 21 'Woe to thee, Chorazin! woe 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 but I say to you, to Tyre and Sidon it shall be more tolerable in a day of judgment than for you. 23 '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 but I say to you, to the land of Sodom it shall be more tolerable in a day of judgment than to thee.' 25 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 Yes, Father, because so it was good pleasure before Thee. 27 '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 [Him]. 28 'Come unto me, all ye labouring and burdened ones, and I will give you rest, 29 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 for my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.'
Matthew · Young's Literal Translation
Matthew 11 Young's Literal Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
Places
Capernaum
A fishing and customs town on the Sea of Galilee where Jesus healed, taught, and called disciples. Its ruins include a 4th–5th c. synagogue built over an earlier one.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 4:13; Mark 2:1; Matthew 11:23
Cross references (29)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Isaiah 61:1–3; Acts 10:38; Matthew 9:35; Luke 8:1; Luke 4:15–21
- 2 Matthew 14:3; Mark 6:17; Matthew 4:12; Luke 7:18–35; Matthew 9:14
- 3 John 11:27; Malachi 3:1; Hebrews 10:37; Deuteronomy 18:15–18; Micah 5:2
- 5 Isaiah 35:4–6; Isaiah 61:1–3; Isaiah 42:6–7; Luke 4:18; Isaiah 29:18
- 6 Isaiah 8:14–15; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Matthew 26:31; John 6:66; Luke 11:27–28
- 7 James 1:6; John 5:35; Luke 8:18; Luke 7:24–30; Ephesians 4:14
- 8 Matthew 3:4; 2 Kings 1:8; 2 Corinthians 11:27; Zechariah 13:4; Isaiah 20:2
- 9 Luke 1:76; Matthew 14:5; Mark 9:11–13; Matthew 17:12–13; Matthew 21:24–26
- 10 Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 4:5; Mark 1:2; Luke 7:26–27
- 11 Luke 7:28; Ephesians 3:8; Matthew 3:11; John 1:15; Matthew 5:19
- 12 Luke 16:16; Luke 13:24; Ephesians 6:11–13; Philippians 2:12; John 6:27
- 13 Matthew 5:17–18; Romans 3:21; Acts 3:22–24; Acts 13:27; Luke 24:44
- 14 Malachi 4:5; Mark 9:11–13; Matthew 17:10–13; Luke 1:17; John 1:21–23
- 15 Matthew 13:9; Luke 8:8; Mark 4:23; Matthew 13:43; Mark 4:9
- 16 Luke 7:31–35; Matthew 23:36; Mark 4:30; Matthew 12:34; Luke 13:18
- 17 Isaiah 28:9–13; Jeremiah 9:17–20; Isaiah 30:29; Matthew 9:15; Jeremiah 31:4
- 18 Matthew 3:4; Luke 1:15; John 10:20; Matthew 10:25; John 8:48
- 19 Matthew 9:10–11; Luke 7:34–36; Luke 15:1–2; Luke 19:7; Luke 5:29–30
- 20 Luke 10:13–15; 2 Timothy 2:25–26; Jeremiah 8:6; Isaiah 1:2–5; Revelation 9:20–21
- 21 Ezekiel 3:6–7; Matthew 15:21; Acts 12:20; Luke 9:10; John 12:21
- 22 Matthew 11:24; Matthew 10:15; Hebrews 10:26–31; Luke 12:47–48; Matthew 12:36
- 23 Isaiah 14:13–15; John 4:46–54; Matthew 4:13; Genesis 13:13; Revelation 11:8
- 24 Matthew 10:15; Matthew 11:22; Mark 6:11; Lamentations 4:6; Luke 10:12
- 25 Matthew 21:16; Psalm 8:2; Matthew 16:17; Luke 10:21–24; 1 Corinthians 1:18–29
- 26 Isaiah 46:10; Ephesians 3:11; 2 Timothy 1:9; Luke 10:21; Romans 9:18
- 27 John 14:6–9; Matthew 28:18; Luke 10:22; 2 John 9; John 17:25–26
- 28 Matthew 11:29; John 7:37; John 6:37; Galatians 5:1; Isaiah 55:1–3
- 29 Jeremiah 6:16; 1 John 2:6; Philippians 2:7–8; John 13:15; Luke 6:46–48
- 30 1 John 5:3; John 16:33; Philippians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 12:9–10; Galatians 5:1
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
The lesson of the Holy Gospel has set before us a question touching John the Baptist. May the Lord assist me to resolve it to you, as He hath resolved it to us.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
That is, after He had sent them, He proceeded to withdraw Himself, to give them room and opportunity to do what He had enjoined. For while He was present and healing, no one would be willing to approach them.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… the Christ, because the Jews knew not what the Father was, and what the Son, in like manner accused them; and Himself said, "No one knoweth the Father, but the Son; nor the Son, but the Father, and they to whom the Son revealeth Him." Now the Word of God is His Son, as we have before said.
And again, when He said, "Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, and learn of Me," He announced the Father of truth.
"Because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes;" that they "that labour and are heavy laden" might "come" unto Him and He might refresh them, because He is "meek and lowly in heart." "The meek will He guide in judgment; and the meek will He teach His way;" looking upon our …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)