Matthew 23
1 Then spake Jesus to the multitudes and to his disciples,
Then Jesus said to the people and to his disciples:
2 saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat:
The scribes and the Pharisees have the authority of Moses;
3 all things therefore whatsoever they bid you, [these] do and observe: but do not ye 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 Yea, they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves 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 But 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 at feasts, and the chief 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 the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called of men, Rabbi.
And words of respect in the market-places, and to be named by men, Teacher.
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your teacher, 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 no man your father on the earth: for one is your Father, [even] 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 ye called masters: for one is your master, [even] the Christ.
And you may not be named guides: because one is your Guide, even Christ.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
But let the greatest among you be your servant.
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever 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! because ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye enter not in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to enter.
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 unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is become so, ye make him twofold more a 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 unto you, ye blind guides, that 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 Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified 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, he 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 Ye blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
You blind ones: which is greater, the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy?
20 He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
He, then, who takes an oath by the altar, takes it by the altar and by all things on it.
21 And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
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 sweareth by the heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
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 unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, 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 Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel!
You blind guides, who take out a fly from your drink, but make no trouble over a camel.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full from extortion and excess.
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 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof 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 unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’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 ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye 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 unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and garnish 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 been in the days of our fathers, we should 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 Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets.
So that you are witnesses against yourselves that you are the sons of those who put the prophets to death.
32 Fill ye 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, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them shall ye kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye 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 upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew 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 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 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth 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 not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh 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.
