Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,
Then Jesus said to the people and to his disciples:
2 saying, The scribes and the Pharisees have set themselves down in Moses' seat:
The scribes and the Pharisees have the authority of Moses;
3 all things therefore, whatever they may tell you, do and keep. But do not after their works, for they say and do not,
All things, then, which they give you orders to do, these do and keep: but do not take their works as your example, for they say and do not.
4 but bind burdens heavy and hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of men, but will not move them with their finger.
They make hard laws and put great weights on men's backs; but they themselves will not put a finger to them.
5 And all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders [of their garments],
But all their works they do so as to be seen by men: for they make wide their phylacteries, and the edges of their robes,
6 and love the chief place in feasts and the first seats in the synagogues,
And the things desired by them are the first places at feasts, and the chief seats in the Synagogues,
7 and salutations in the market-places, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
And words of respect in the market-places, and to be named by men, Teacher.
8 But ye, be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your instructor, and all ye are brethren.
But you may not be named Teacher: for one is your teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And call not [any one] your father upon the earth; for one is your Father, he who is in the heavens.
And give no man the name of father on earth: because one is your Father, who is in heaven.
10 Neither be called instructors, for one is your instructor, the Christ.
And you may not be named guides: because one is your Guide, even Christ.
11 But the greatest of you shall be your servant.
But let the greatest among you be your servant.
12 And whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.
And whoever makes himself high will be made low, and whoever makes himself low will be made high.
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men; for ye do not enter, nor do ye suffer those that are entering to go in.
But a curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! because you are shutting the kingdom of heaven against men: for you do not go in yourselves, and those who are going in, you keep back.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye compass the sea and the dry [land] to make one proselyte, and when he is become [such], ye make him twofold more [the] son of hell than yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you go about land and sea to get one disciple and, having him, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor.
A curse is on you, blind guides, who say, Whoever takes an oath by the Temple, it is nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the gold of the Temple, he is responsible.
17 Fools and blind, for which is greater, the gold, or the temple which sanctifies the gold?
You foolish ones and blind: which is greater, the gold, or the Temple which makes the gold holy?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor.
And, Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the offering which is on it, he is responsible.
19 [Fools and] blind ones, for which is greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifies the gift?
You blind ones: which is greater, the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy?
20 He therefore that swears by the altar swears by it and by all things that are upon it.
He, then, who takes an oath by the altar, takes it by the altar and by all things on it.
21 And he that swears by the temple swears by it and by him that dwells in it.
And he who takes an oath by the Temple, takes it by the Temple and by him whose house it is.
22 And he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him that sits upon it.
And he who takes an oath by heaven, takes it by the seat of God, and by him who is seated on it.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye pay tithes of mint and anise and cummin, and ye have left aside the weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy and faith: these ye ought to have done and not have left those aside.
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you make men give a tenth of all sorts of sweet-smelling plants, but you give no thought to the more important things of the law, righteousness, and mercy, and faith; but it is right for you to do these, and not to let the others be undone.
24 Blind guides, who strain out the gnat, but drink down the camel.
You blind guides, who take out a fly from your drink, but make no trouble over a camel.
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within they are full of rapine and intemperance.
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of violent behaviour and uncontrolled desire.
26 Blind Pharisee, make clean first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that their outside also may become clean.
You blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside may become equally clean.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like whited sepulchres, which appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you are like the resting-places of the dead, which are made white, and seem beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and of all unclean things.
28 Thus also ye, outwardly ye appear righteous to men, but within are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Even so you seem to men to be full of righteousness, but inside you are all false and full of wrongdoing.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets and adorn the tombs of the just,
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! because you put up buildings for housing the dead bodies of the prophets, and make fair the last resting-places of good men, and say,
30 and ye 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.
If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 So that ye bear witness of yourselves that ye are sons of those who slew the prophets:
So that you are witnesses against yourselves that you are the sons of those who put the prophets to death.
32 and ye, fill ye up the measure of your fathers.
Make full, then, the measure of your fathers.
You snakes, offspring of snakes, how will you be kept from the punishment of hell? (Geenna g1067)
34 Therefore, behold, I send unto 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 will persecute from city to city;
For this reason, I send you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them you will put to death and put on the cross, and to some of them you will give blows in your Synagogues, driving them from town to town;
35 so that all righteous blood shed upon the earth should come upon you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
So that on you may come all the blood of the upright on the earth, from the blood of upright Abel to the blood of Zachariah, son of Barachiah, whom you put to death between the Temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
Truly I say to you, All these things will come on this generation.
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [the city] that kills the prophets and stones those that are sent unto her, how often would I have gathered thy children as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, putting to death the prophets, and stoning those who are sent to her! Again and again would I have taken your children to myself as a bird takes her young ones under her wings, and you would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate;
See, your house is made waste.
39 for I say unto you, Ye shall in no wise see me henceforth until ye say, Blessed [be] he that comes in the name of [the] Lord.
For I say to you, You will not see me from this time till you say, A blessing on him who comes in the name of the Lord.
