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, "Upon the seat of Moses the Pharisees and scribes sit.
The scribes and the Pharisees have the authority of Moses;
3 All which they will say unto you, observe and do; but their works do not do, because they say, and do not do.
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 For they bind heavy and hard to bear burdens, and lay them on people's shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
They make hard laws and put great weights on men's backs; but they themselves will not put a finger to them.
5 But all their works they do to be seen by others. They make their tefillin broad and enlarge the fringe 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 place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
And the things desired by them are the first places at feasts, and the chief seats in the Synagogues,
7 the greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi' by people.
And words of respect in the market-places, and to be named by men, Teacher.
8 But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for one is your Teacher, and all of you are brothers.
But you may not be named Teacher: for one is your teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
And give no man the name of father on earth: because one is your Father, who is in heaven.
10 Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
And you may not be named guides: because one is your Guide, even Christ.
11 But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
But let the greatest among you be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
And whoever makes himself high will be made low, and whoever makes himself low will be made high.
13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you devour the houses of widows, and for show make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
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.
14 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you shut up the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.
15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much of a son of hell as 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, you blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.'
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 You blind fools. For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctified the gold?
You foolish ones and blind: which is greater, the gold, or the Temple which makes the gold holy?
18 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated?'
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 You blind people. For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
You blind ones: which is greater, the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy?
20 He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it.
He, then, who takes an oath by the altar, takes it by the altar and by all things on it.
21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him who 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 He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on 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 you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
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 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a 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 you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but within they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
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 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside may become clean also.
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 you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead people's bones, and of 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 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
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 you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous,
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 say, 'If we had lived 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 Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.
So that you are witnesses against yourselves that you are the sons of those who put the prophets to death.
32 Fill up, then, 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, look, I send to you prophets, wise people, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and 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 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary 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 Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Truly I say to you, All these things will come on this generation.
37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her. How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you 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 Look, your house is abandoned to you.
See, your house is made waste.
39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, 'Blessed is he who 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.
