- And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said unto him, Are you he of whom it is written in the prophets that should come? Or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and tell John again of those things which you do hear and see, how the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, and the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached unto them. And blessed is John and whoever shall not be offended in me.
- And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went you out into the wilderness to see? Was it a reed shaken with the wind? And they answered him, No. And he said, But what went you out to see? Was it a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft raiment are in kings’ houses. But what went you out to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet; for this is the one of whom it is written: Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way before you. Truly I say unto you, among them that are born of women, there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist. Notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.
- And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. But the days will come when the violent shall have no power, for all the prophets and the law prophesied that it should be thus, until John. Yea, as many as have prophesied have foretold of these days. And if you will receive it, truly he was the Elias who was to come and prepare all things. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.
- But unto what shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their friends, and saying, We have piped unto you and you have not danced. We have mourned for you and you have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a devil. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But I say unto you, Wisdom is justified of her children.
- Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Woe unto you, Chorazin. Woe unto you, Bethsaida. For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long since in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you.
- And you, Capernaum, which are exalted unto Heaven, shall be brought down to hell; for if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.
- And at that time, there came a voice out of Heaven. And Jesus answered and said, I thank you, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father, and no man knows the Son, but the Father. Neither knows any man the Father, save the Son — and to whom the Son will reveal himself, they shall see the Father also.
- Then spoke Jesus, saying, Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavily loaded, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. And you shall find rest unto your souls, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
- At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grainfields, and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck the heads of grain and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw them, they said unto him, Behold, your disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him? How he entered into the House of God and did eat the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and you say they are blameless? But I say unto you that in this place is one greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means — I desire mercy, and not sacrifice — you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.
- And when he had departed from there, he went into their synagogues, and behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days? — that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore, it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days. Then said he to the man, Stretch forth your hand. And he stretched it forth, and it was restored whole like as the other.
- Then the Pharisees went out and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. But Jesus knew when they took counsel, and he withdrew himself from there. And great multitudes followed him, and he healed their sick and charged them that they should not make him known, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, saying, Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my Beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my spirit upon him and he shall show judgment to the gentiles. He shall not quarrel nor cry, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, until he send forth judgment into victory. And in his name shall the gentiles trust.
- Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb. And he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed and said, Is this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard that he had cast out the devil, they said, This man does not cast out devils but by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. And Jesus knew their thoughts and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then shall his kingdom stand? And if I, by Beelzebub, cast out devils, by whom do your children cast out devils? Therefore, they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come unto you, for they also cast out devils by the spirit of God; for unto them is given power over devils that they may cast them out, or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? And then he will spoil his house.
- He that is not with me is against me, and he that gathers not with me, scatters abroad. Wherefore, I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men who receive me and repent, but the blasphemy against the holy ghost; it shall not be forgiven unto men. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him. But whoever speaks against the holy ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
- Either make the tree good and his fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt, for the tree is known by the fruit. And Jesus said, O you generation of vipers. How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man, out of the good treasure of the heart, brings forth good things; and an evil man, out of the evil treasure, brings forth evil things. And again I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment; for by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.
- Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from you. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there shall be no sign given to it but the sign of the prophet Jonah; for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
- The men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and you behold a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the day of judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, for she came from the furthest parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and you behold a greater than Solomon is here.
- Then came some of the scribes and said unto him, Master, it is written that every sin shall be forgiven, but you say, Whoever speaks against the holy ghost shall not be forgiven. And they asked him, saying, How can these things be? And he said unto them, When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. But when a man speaks against the holy ghost, then he says, I will return into my house from which I came out. And when he has come, he finds him empty, swept, and garnished, for the good spirit leaves him unto himself. Then goes the evil spirit and takes with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. And the last end of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
- And while he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, your mother and your brethren stand without, desiring to speak with you. But he answered and said unto the man that told him, Who is my mother? And who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples and said, Behold my mother and my brethren. And he gave them charge concerning her, saying, I go my way, for my Father has sent me, and whoever shall do the will of my Father who is in Heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Chapter 6