Matthew 11:7-19

7As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out ^ainto the wilderness to see? ^bA reed shaken by the wind? 8What then did you go out to see? A man ▼

▼Or Why then did you go out? To see a man . . .

dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9What then did you go out to see? ^dA prophet? ▼

▼Some manuscripts Why then did you go out? To see a prophet?

Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10This is he of whom it is written,

^f“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’
11Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 ^gFrom the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, ▼

▼Or  has been coming violently

and the violent take it by force. 13 ⁱFor all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14and if you are willing to accept it, he is ^jElijah who is to come. 15 ^kHe who has ears to hear, ▼

▼Some manuscripts omit  to hear

let him hear.

16“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,

17 “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
18For John came ^mneither eating ⁿnor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19The Son of Man came ^oeating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, ^pa friend of ^qtax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” ▼

▼Some manuscripts children (compare Luke 7:35)

Matthew 17:11-12

11He answered, “Elijah does come, and ^she will restore all things. 12But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but ^tdid to him whatever they pleased. ^uSo also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.”

Matthew 21:25-32

25The baptism of John, ^vfrom where did it come? ^wFrom heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ^x‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘From man,’ ^ywe are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was ^za prophet.” 27So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 ^aa“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in ^abthe vineyard today.’ 29And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he ^acchanged his mind and went. 30And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, ^adthe tax collectors and ^aethe prostitutes go into ^afthe kingdom of God before you. 32For John came to you ^agin the way of righteousness, and ^ahyou did not believe him, but ^aithe tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward ^ajchange your minds and believe him.

Luke 7:28-35

28I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 29( ^akWhen all the people heard this, and ^althe tax collectors too, they declared God just, ▼

▼Greek  they justified God

^anhaving been baptized with ^aothe baptism of John, 30 ^apbut the Pharisees and ^aqthe lawyers ^arrejected ^asthe purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)

31“To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? 32They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

“‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’
33For John the Baptist has come ^ateating no bread and ^audrinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34The Son of Man has come ^aveating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, ^awa friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35Yet ^axwisdom is justified by all her children.”

John 1:6

6There was a man ^aysent from God, whose name was ^azJohn.

John 1:19-28

The Testimony of John the Baptist

19And this is the ^batestimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ^bb“Who are you?” 20 ^bcHe confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21And they asked him, “What then? ^bdAre you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you ^bethe Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23He said, “I am ^bfthe voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight ▼

▼Or  crying out, ‘In the wilderness make straight

the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

24(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25They asked him, ^bh“Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26John answered them, ^bi“I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27even ^bjhe who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.