23
1 Then
Jesus spoke to
the multitudes and
to his disciples,
2 saying,
“The scribes
and the
Pharisees sit on
Moses’ seat.
3 All things
therefore whatever
they tell you
to observe,
observe and do,
but don’t do
their works; for
they say,
and don’t do.
4 For they
bind heavy burdens
that are grievous
to be borne, and
lay them on
men’s shoulders;
but they themselves
will not lift a
finger to help
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
place of honor
at feasts,
the best seats
in the
synagogues,
7 the salutations in
the marketplaces, and
to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’
by men.
8 But you are
not to be
called ‘Rabbi’,
for one is
your teacher,
the Christ, and
all of you
are brothers.
9 Call no man
on the earth
your father, for
one is your
Father, he who
is in heaven.
10 Neither be
called masters,
for one is
your master, the
Christ.
11 But he who
is greatest
among you will
be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts
himself will be
humbled, and
whoever humbles
himself will be
exalted.
13 “Woe to you,
scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites!
For you devour widows’ houses,
and as a pretense
you make
long prayers. Therefore
you will receive
greater condemnation.
14 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you
shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t 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 a son
of Gehenna
as yourselves.
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.’
17 You blind fools!
For which is
greater, the
gold or the
temple that sanctifies
the gold?
18 And, ‘Whoever
swears by the
altar, it is
nothing; but
whoever swears
by the gift
that is on
it, he is
obligated.’
19 You blind fools!
For which is
greater, the
gift, or the
altar that sanctifies
the gift?
20 He therefore
who swears by
the altar,
swears by it
and by
everything on it.
21 He who swears
by the temple,
swears by it
and by him
who has been
living
in it.
22 He who swears
by heaven,
swears by the
throne of God
and by him
who sits 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.
24 You blind
guides, who
strain out a
gnat, and
swallow a camel!
25 “Woe to you,
scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites!
For you clean
the outside of
the cup and
of the platter,
but within they
are full
of extortion
and unrighteousness.
26 You blind
Pharisee, first
clean the inside
of the cup
and of the
platter, that its
outside may
become clean
also.
27 “Woe to you,
scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites!
For you are
like whitened tombs,
which outwardly
appear beautiful,
but inwardly are
full of dead
men’s bones and
of all uncleanness.
28 Even so you
also outwardly
appear righteous
to men, but
inwardly you are
full of
hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 “Woe to you,
scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites!
For you build
the tombs of
the prophets and
decorate the
tombs of the
righteous,
30 and say, ‘If
we had lived
in the days
of our fathers,
we wouldn’t have
been partakers
with them in
the blood of the
prophets.’
31 Therefore you
testify to
yourselves that
you are children
of those who
killed the
prophets.
32 Fill up, then,
the measure of
your fathers.
33 You serpents,
you offspring of
vipers, how will
you escape the
judgment of Gehenna?
34 Therefore, behold,
I send to you
prophets, wise
men, 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,
35 that on you
may come all
the righteous blood
shed on the
earth, from
the blood of
righteous Abel to
the blood of Zachariah
son of Barachiah,
whom you killed
between the
sanctuary and
the altar.
36 Most certainly I
tell you, all
these things
will come upon
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!
38 Behold, your
house is left to
you desolate.
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!’ ”