Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:
Then Jesus spoke to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses's seat.
3 So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
All therefore, whatever they bid you observe, [that] observe and do: but do not ye 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.
For they bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, and lay [them] on men's shoulders; but they [themselves] will not move them with one of their fingers.
5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
But all their works they do to be seen by men: they make broad 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 love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.
And greetings in the markets, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, [even] Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father who is in heaven.
10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, [even] Christ.
11 The greatest among you shall be your servant.
But he that is greatest among you, shall be your servant.
12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
And whoever shall exalt himself, shall be abased; and he that 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 to you, scribes and Pharisees! hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering, to go in.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
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 to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him two-fold more the child 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 to you, [ye] blind guides, who say, Whoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor.
17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?
[Ye] fools, and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth 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 whoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?
[Ye] fools, and blind: for which [is] greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20 So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
Whoever therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things upon it.
21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it.
And whoever shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it.
22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it.
And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth 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 to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ye ought to have done, and not to leave the others undone.
24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
[Ye] blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a 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 to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.
[Thou] blind Pharisee, cleanse first that [which is] within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
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 to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like whitened sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead [men's] bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Thus ye also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within ye 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 to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish 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 say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
Wherefore ye are witnesses to yourselves, that ye are the children of them who killed the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers.
Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
[Ye] serpents, [ye] generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation 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.
Wherefore behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and [some] of them ye will kill and crucify, and [some] of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and 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.
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Verily I say to 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 who are sent to thee, how often would I have gathered thy children, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under [her] wings, and ye would not!
38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.
Behold, your house is left to 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 to you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
