Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and His disciples,
2 “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
saying, The scribes and Pharisees sat upon the seat of Moses;
3 So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
therefore do and keep all things so many as they may speak to you, but do not according to their works; for they say, and do not.
4 They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
But they bind heavy burdens, and place them on the shoulders of the people; and they themselves are not willing to touch them with their finger.
5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
And they do all their works to be seen by the people: for they broaden their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,
and they love the first couch at the suppers, and the first seats in the synagogues,
7 the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.
and salutations in the forums, and to be called by the people, ""Doctor.""
8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.
But be ye not called Doctor: for One is your teacher; and you are all brothers.
9 And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
And call no man father upon the earth: for One is your Heavenly Father.
10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.
Be not called teachers: because One is your teacher, Christ.
11 The greatest among you shall be your servant.
And the great of you shall be your deacon.
12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
But whosoever shall exalt himself, shall be abased; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut up the kingdom of the heavens against the people: for you do not go in, neither do you permit those coming in to enter.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. (Geenna g1067)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you compass the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and when it may be done, you make him twofold more the son of hell than yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
Woe unto you, blind guides, who are saying, Whosoever may swear by the temple it is nothing; but whosoever may swear by the gold of the temple, he is debtor.
17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?
Ye fools and blind: for which is the greater, the gold, or the temple sanctifying the gold?
18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’
And, Whosoever may swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever may swear by the gift upon it, is debtor.
19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?
Ye blind: for which is the greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifies the gift?
20 So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
Therefore the one swearing by the altar, swears by it, and by all things which are on it.
21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it.
And the one swearing by the temple, swears by it, and by Him who inhabited it.
22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it.
And the one swearing by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by Him that sitteth upon it.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you tithe mint and anise and cummin, and pass by the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: it behooves to do these and not to neglect those.
24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
Ye blind guides, who strain out the gnat, and swallow down the camel.
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you purify the exterior of the cup and the plate, and within they are full of extortion and impurity.
26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.
Ye blind Pharisee, first purify the inside of the cup, in order that its outside may be clean.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you are like whitened sepulchers, which are beautiful indeed externally, but within they are full of the hones of the dead people, and every impurity.
28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
So you also appear unto the people indeed righteous, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you build the tombs of the prophets, and ornament the sepulchers of the righteous,
30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
and you say, If we were in the days of our fathers we would not have been their fellow-partakers in the blood of the prophets.
31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
So you witness to yourselves, that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers.
And you fill up the measure of your fathers.
Ye serpents, generations of vipers, how can you escape from the judgment of hell? (Geenna g1067)
34 Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute in town after town.
Therefore I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: you will kill and crucify some of them; and will scourge some of them in your synagogues, and will persecute them from city to city;
35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
in order that all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, unto the blood of Zachariah the son of the blessed, whom they slew between the temple and the altar, may come upon you.
36 Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Truly I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that have been sent unto thee! how frequently did I wish to gather together thy children, in the manner in which a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but ye were not willing!
38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
For I say unto you, that ye can see me no more until you can say; Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.
