Matthew 11

¹ And it came to pass when Jesus finished commanding his twelve disciples he went from there teaching and preaching in all their cities.

Jesus and John the Baptist

² Now John having heard in prison the works of Christ, having sent through his disciples ³ he said to him: Are you the coming [one] or do we look for another? ⁴ And answering Jesus said to them: Go tell John what you hear and see: ⁵ The blind see again, and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and deaf hear, and dead are raised and [the] poor are good-newsed. ⁶ And blessed is he who shall not be offended in me.

⁷ Now when these are going, Jesus began to be saying to the crowd concerning John: What did you come out into the wilderness to see, [a] reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ So what did you come out to behold? [a] man clothed in soft [things]? Behold those wearing soft [things] are in the houses of the kings. ⁹ So why did you come out? To behold [a] prophet? Yes, I say to you, and much more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is he of whom it is written¹:

Behold I send my messenger before my face,
Who will prepare the way before me.

¹¹ Truly I say to you, there has not arisen [one] born of women greater than John the baptizing [one]. But the least in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he. ¹² But from the days of John the baptizing [one] until now the kingdom of the heavens suffers violence, and violent men ravish² her. ¹³ For all the prophets and law until John prophesied [it]. ¹⁴ And if you wish to accept [it], he himself is Elijah, the [one] destined to be coming. ¹⁵ The [one] having ears to be hearing³ let⁴ him be hearing.

¹⁶ So to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-place who call to the others ¹⁷ saying:

We played the flute for you and you did not dance,
We mourned and you did not beat yourself.

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and you say: He has a demon. ¹⁹ The son of man came eating and drinking, and you say: Behold [this] man is [a] glutton and [a] wino, [a] friend of tax-collectors and sinners. And wisdom is justified by her children⁵.

Woes on Unrepentant Cities

²⁰ Then he began to be reproaching the cities in which had come to pass the most of his miracles, because they had not repented: ²¹ Woe to you Chrazin! Woe to you Bethsaida! Because if the miracles that came to pass in you had come to pass in Tyre and Sidon, long ago they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. ²² Moreover I say to you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. ²³ And you Capernaum, aren't you exalted to the heavens? You will go down to Hades⁶ ; because if the miracles that came to pass in you had come to pass in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. ²⁴ Moreover I say to you that it will be more bearable for [the] land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.

Jesus's Invitation

²⁵ In that opportune-time⁷ Jesus answered saying: I confess to you⁸, O father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these [things] from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed these [things] to the childish. ²⁶ Yes, O father, for thus [your] purpose came to pass before you. ²⁷ Everything has been delivered to me by my father, and no one knows the son except the father, nor does anyone know the father except the son and [the one] to whom the son intends to reveal [him].

²⁸ Come to me all [you who are] exhausted and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your psyche-lives⁹ . ³⁰ For my yoke is kind and my burden is light.

¹Mal.3:1

²or "carry her off"

³"ears to be hearing" ℵ W H vg most; "ears" BD

⁴imperative

⁵"children" DK most vg; "works" ℵBW

⁶"Hades" (αδης ), the Greek underworld.

⁷KAIROS (καιρoς ) `opportune time', `proper time', `season'

⁸or "agree with you"

⁹from PSYCHE (ψυχη): an individual manifestation of life/consciousness. Animals have PSYCHEs as well as humans. Contrast ZOE (ζωη)—Life 'collectively', interdependent, interconnected.