John’s Inquiry (Luke 7:18–23)
1 UDB When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he sent them to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. BSB BSB: After Jesus had finished instructing His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.
3 UDB to ask him, "Are you the one John told us about, that we should be looking for? Or should we look for someone else to come?" BSB BSB: to ask Him, “Are You the One who was to come, or should we look for someone else?”
4 UDB Jesus answered John's disciples, "Go back and report to John what you hear me telling people and what you see me doing. BSB BSB: Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see:
5 UDB I am making blind people to see again and lame people to walk. I am healing people who have leprosy. I am making deaf people to hear again and dead people to become alive again. I am telling the poor people God's good news. BSB BSB: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
6 UDB Also tell John that God is pleased with people who do not stop believing in me because they do not like what I am doing." BSB BSB: Blessed is the one who does not fall away on account of Me.”
Jesus Testifies about John (Malachi 3:1–5; Luke 7:24–35)
7 UDB When John's disciples had gone away, Jesus began to talk to the crowd of people about John. He said to them, "When you went out into the wilderness to see John, what was it you expected to see? You did not go there just to look at the tall grass blowing in the wind, did you? BSB BSB: As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?
8 UDB So what kind of person did you expect to see? Surely not a man who was wearing expensive clothes. No! You know very well that people who wear clothes like that reside in kings' palaces and not in the wilderness. BSB BSB: Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces.
9 UDB So really, what kind of person did you expect to see? A prophet? Oh, yes! But let me tell you this: John is not just any ordinary prophet. BSB BSB: What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
10 UDB He is the one to whom God was referring when someone wrote in the scriptures and said, 'Notice this! I am sending my messenger to go ahead of you to prepare the people for your coming.' BSB BSB: This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’
11 UDB "Note this: Of all the people who have ever lived, God does not consider any of them to be greater than John the Baptizer. At the same time, God considers those that are not important in the kingdom he rules from heaven to be greater than John. BSB BSB: Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 UDB From the time that John the Baptizer preached until now, some people have been trying to make God rule from heaven in their own way, and they have been using force for this purpose. BSB BSB: From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence, and the violent lay claim to it.
13 UDB Everything that I am saying about John is just what you can read in what the prophets have written and what the law has been saying until the time of John the Baptizer. BSB BSB: For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
15 UDB If you want to understand this, you must think carefully about what I have just said. BSB BSB: He who has ears, let him hear.
16 UDB "But you and the other people who are alive now, you are like children who are playing games in the marketplace. Some of them call to their friends, BSB BSB: To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:
17 UDB 'We played happy music on the flute for you, but you refused to dance! Then we sang sad funeral songs for you, but you refused to cry!' BSB BSB: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
18 UDB I say this because you are dissatisfied with both John and me! When John came and preached to you, he did not eat good food and did not drink wine, like most people do. But you rejected him and said, 'A demon is controlling him!' BSB BSB: For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’
19 UDB I, the Son of Man, was not like John. I eat the same food and drink wine as other people do. But you also reject me and say, 'Look! This man eats too much food and drinks too much wine, and he is friends with tax collectors and other sinners!' But anyone who is truly wise will show it by doing good deeds." BSB BSB: The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is vindicated by her actions.”
Woe to the Unrepentant (Luke 10:13–16)
20 UDB In the towns where Jesus had performed most of his miracles, the people there still refused to turn to God. So he began to rebuke them by saying to them, BSB BSB: Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.
22 UDB Let me tell you this: God will punish the wicked people who lived in the cities of Tyre and Sidon, but he will punish you even more severely on the final day when he judges all people. BSB BSB: But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
23 UDB I also have something to say to you people who live in the city of Capernaum. Do you think that others will praise you so much that you will go right up to heaven? That will not happen! On the contrary, you will go down to where God punishes people after they die! If I had done these same miracles in Sodom of long ago, those wicked people would certainly have stopped sinning, and their city would have been here even today. But you have not stopped sinning. BSB BSB: And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.
24 UDB Let me tell you this: God will punish the wicked people who lived in Sodom, but he will punish you even more severely on the final day when he judges all people." BSB BSB: But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”
Rest for the Weary (Luke 10:21–24)
25 UDB At that time Jesus prayed, "Father, you rule over everything in heaven and on the earth. I thank you that you have prevented people who think that they are wise and well educated from knowing these things. Instead, you have revealed them to people who accept your truth just as little children believe what an adult tells them. BSB BSB: At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
26 UDB Yes, Father, you have done that because it seemed good to you to do so." BSB BSB: Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.
27 UDB Then Jesus said to the people, "God my Father has revealed to me all the things that I need to know in order to do my work. Only my Father knows who I really am. Furthermore, only I and those people to whom I wish to reveal him really know him. BSB BSB: All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.
28 UDB Come to me, all you people who are very weary of trying to obey all the laws your leaders say you should. I will let you rest from all that. BSB BSB: Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29 UDB Submit to me, like an ox to its yoke, and learn what I have to teach you. I am gentle and humble, and you will truly rest. BSB BSB: Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 UDB For the load I will give you is light, and you will carry it easily." BSB BSB: For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”