In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits; and on many that were blind he bestowed sight.  And he answered and said unto them, “Go and tell John the things which ye have seen and heard; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good tidings preached to them.  And blessed is he, whosoever shall find no occasion of stumbling in me.”

JESUS’ ESTIMATE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.

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.”

THE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.

And Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, and the high captains, and the chief men of Galilee.  And the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst, and pleased Herod, and them that sat at meat with him; and the king said unto the damsel, “Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.”

And he sware unto her, “Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it to thee, unto the half of my kingdom.”

And she went out, and said unto her mother, “What shall I ask?”

And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.”