7:18 John’s 1 disciples informed him about all these things. So 2 John called 3 two of his disciples 7:19 and sent them to Jesus 4 to ask, 5 “Are you the one who is to come, 6 or should we look for another?” 7:20 When 7 the men came to Jesus, 8 they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, 9 ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’” 10 7:21 At that very time 11 Jesus 12 cured many people of diseases, sicknesses, 13 and evil spirits, and granted 14 sight to many who were blind. 7:22 So 15 he answered them, 16 “Go tell 17 John what you have seen and heard: 18 The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the 19 deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them. 7:23 Blessed is anyone 20 who takes no offense at me.”
7:24 When 21 John’s messengers had gone, Jesus 22 began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness 23 to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 24 7:25 What 25 did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy 26 clothes? 27 Look, those who wear fancy clothes and live in luxury 28 are in kings’ courts! 29 7:26 What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more 30 than a prophet. 7:27 This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, 31 who will prepare your way before you.’ 32 7:28 I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater 33 than John. 34 Yet the one who is least 35 in the kingdom of God 36 is greater than he is.” 7:29 (Now 37 all the people who heard this, even the tax collectors, 38 acknowledged 39 God’s justice, because they had been baptized 40 with John’s baptism. 7:30 However, the Pharisees 41 and the experts in religious law 42 rejected God’s purpose 43 for themselves, because they had not been baptized 44 by John. 45 ) 46
7:31 “To what then should I compare the people 47 of this generation, and what are they like? 7:32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another, 48
‘We played the flute for you, yet you did not dance; 49
we wailed in mourning, 50 yet you did not weep.’
7:33 For John the Baptist has come 51 eating no bread and drinking no wine, 52 and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ 53 7:34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him, 54 a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 55 7:35 But wisdom is vindicated 56 by all her children.” 57