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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, "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. 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.