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And it came··to··pass when Jesus had finished instructing His twelve disciples, He passed··on thence to teach and to preach in their cities.
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And◦ John, hearing in the prison the works of the Christ and sending two of his disciples,
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says◦ to Him, Art Thou He who comest, or should we expect another◦?
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And Jesus answering, said◦ to them, Go, report to John what you hear and see▫:
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the blind receive· their ·sight and the lame walk, the lepers are··cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead◦ are raised··up and the poor have··the··gospel··announced to them.
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And happy is he, whoever shall not be offended in Me.
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And◦ as they went, Jesus began to say to the crowds concerning John, What did you come··out into the wilderness to observe? A reed shaken with the wind?
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But what did you come··out to see◦? A man clothed in soft garments? Behold◦, they who wear soft things are in kings’ houses.
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But what◦ did you come··out to see◦? A prophet? Yes, I say to··you, and more··than a prophet.
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For◦ this is he about whom it is written, Behold◦, I◦ send◦ My messenger before Thy face, who shall make··ready Thy way before▵ Thee.*
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Amen I say to you, There has not arisen among those who are born of women a greater than John the Baptist; but◦ the least in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he.
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And◦ from the days of John the Baptist until now◦, the kingdom of the heavens presses, and they who··press seize upon it.
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For◦ all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John,
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and if you will to accept it, he is Elijah who was··going▵ to come.
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He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
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But◦ to what◦ shall I liken this generation? It is like little··boys sitting in the markets, and summoning their fellows,
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and saying, We have piped to you, and you have not danced; we have lamented to you, and you have not wailed.
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For◦ John came neither◦ eating◦ nor drinking, and they say, He has a demon.
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The Son of Man came eating◦ and drinking, and they say, Behold◦, a man, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! And wisdom has been justified by her children.
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Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His works of power were··done◦, because they did not repent.
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Woe to thee, Chorazin! Woe to thee, Bethsaida! Because if the works of power had been··done◦ in Tyre and Sidon that were··done◦ in you, they would have repented long··ago in sackcloth and ashes.
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But▵ I say unto you, It shall be more··tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.
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And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted up··to heaven, shalt be thrust··down even··to hell; for if the works of power which have been··done◦ in thee had been··done◦ in Sodom, it would have remained even··to◦ this··day.
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But▵ I say to··you that it shall be more··tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for··thee.
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At that time Jesus answering said, I profess Thee, Father, Lord of the heaven and of the earth, because Thou hast hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and hast revealed them to infants.
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Yes, Father; for so it was for good··pleasure before Thee.
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All things are delivered··up to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; neither knows anyone the Father, except the Son, and he to whomever the Son intends to reveal Him.
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Come▵ to Me, all you that labor and are burdened, and··I◦ will give· you ·rest.
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Take◦ My yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.