²⁸ I tell you, John is greater than any other person ·ever born [^Lborn to women], but even the least important person in the kingdom of God is greater than John [^Cbecause John was part of the old age of preparation, those in the new kingdom age have greater blessings and status].”

²⁹ (When the people, including the tax collectors, heard this, they all agreed that God’s ·teaching was good [way was right/just], because they had been baptized by John. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and experts on the law ·refused to accept [rejected] God’s ·plan [purpose] for themselves; they did not let John baptize them.)