And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to say unto
the multitudes concerning John, "What went ye out into the wilderness
to behold? a reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out to see? a
man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that are gorgeously
apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts. But what went
ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a
prophet. This is he of whom it is written.
"'Behold, I send my messenger before thy face,
Who shall prepare thy way before thee.'
"Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath
not arisen a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is but little
in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And all the people when
they heard, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the
baptism of John. But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected for
themselves the counsel of God, being not baptized of him.
"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven
suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force. For all the
prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye are willing to
receive it, this is Elijah that is to come. He that hath ears to hear,
let him hear.
"But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto
children sitting in the marketplaces, who call unto their fellows and
say, 'We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did
not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say,
'He hath a demon.' The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they
say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans
and sinners!' And wisdom is justified of all her children."