< Matthew 23 >
1 Then spake Jesus to the people and to his disciples, saying,
2 The scribes and pharisees sit in the seat of Moses:
3 observe therefore and do all things whatsoever they tell you to observe; but do not ye according to their works, for they say and do not:
4 for they bind grievous and intolerable burthens, and impose them upon men; but they themselves will not put a finger to them:
5 but they do all their works to be seen by men; they make their phylacteries broad, and enlarge the fringes of their garments,
6 and love the uppermost places at feasts,
7 and the chief seats in the synagogues, and salutations in public assemblies, and to be called by men Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your instructor even Christ, and ye are all brethren.
9 Neither call any man upon earth Father; for one is your Father, who is in heaven:
10 neither be ye called masters; for one is your master, even Christ.
11 But let him that is greatest among you be your minister: and whosoever will exalt himself shall be abased,
12 and whosoever will humble himself shall be exalted.
13 But wo unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites, who shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, nor suffer those that are entering to go in.
14 Wo unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites; for ye devour widows houses, and for a cover make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive the heavier judgement.
15 Wo unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites: for ye compass sea and land to make a proselyte, and when he is gained, ye make him more the child of hell than yourselves. (Geenna )
16 Wo unto you, ye blind guides, who say, If any one swear by the temple, it is nothing;
17 but if any man swear by the gold of the temple, the oath is binding. Foolish and blind creatures! for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18 And, If any one swear by the altar, it is nothing; but if any one swear by the gift upon it, he is bound.
19 O foolish and blind! for which is greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifieth the gift?
20 He then, that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it and by all things upon it:
21 and he, that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by Him that dwelleth in it:
22 and he, that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by Him that sitteth upon it.
23 Wo unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites, who tithe even your mint, and anise, and cummin, but neglect the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy, and fidelity: these ye ought undoubtedly to practise, and not to omit the others.
24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!
25 Wo unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites; for ye clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within they are full of rapine and intemperance:
26 thou blind pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside of them may be also clean.
27 Wo unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites; who are like whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful without, but within are full of the bones of the dead, and all manner of filthiness;
28 so do ye likewise outwardly appear to men to be righteous, but within are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Wo unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites; who build the tombs of the prophets, and adorn the monuments of the just,
30 and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been concerned with them in shedding the blood of the prophets:
31 so that ye are witnesses yourselves, that ye are the children of those who killed the prophets:
32 fill up then the measure of your fathers, ye serpents, ye brood of vipers:
33 how can ye escape the damnation of hell? (Geenna )
34 For 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 persecute them from city to city:
35 that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, to the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Verily I tell you, all these things shall come upon this generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38 Behold your house shall be left you desolate:
39 for I tell you, ye shall not see me after this, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.
