23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
23:2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
23:3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
23:4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
23:5 “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;
23:6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;
23:7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’
23:8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers.
23:9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.
23:10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ.
23:11 The greatest among you will be your servant.
23:12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
23:13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
23:14
23:15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
23:16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
23:17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
23:18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’
23:19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
23:20 Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
23:21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it.
23:22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.
23:23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices–mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law–justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
23:24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
23:25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
23:26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
23:27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.
23:28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
23:29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.
23:30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
23:31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
23:32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers!
23:33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
23:34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.
23:35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
23:36 I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.
23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.
23:38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.
23:39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
23:1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,
23:2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses seat;
23:3 Therefore all that they tell you, do and keep; but do not do according to their works, for they say things and do not do them.
23:4 And they bind burdens, heavy and hard to bear, and lay them on men s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger.
23:5 And all their works they do to be seen by men, for they broaden their phylacteries and enlarge the fringes of their garments,
23:6 And they love the place of honor at the dinners and the chief seats in the synagogues
23:7 And the salutations in the marketplaces and to be called by men, Rabbi.
23:8 But you, do not be called Rabbi, for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
23:9 And do not call anyone on earth your father, for One is your Father, He who is in the heavens.
23:10 Neither be called instructors, because One is your Instructor, the Christ.
23:11 And the greatest among you shall be your servant.
23:12 And he who will exalt himself shall be humbled, and he who will humble himself shall be exalted.
23:13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you close off the kingdom of the heavens in the face of men; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to enter.
23:14 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour the widows houses, even while for a pretense you make long prayers. For this reason you shall receive greater judgment.
23:15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you go about the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves.
23:16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say, Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound.
23:17 Fools and blind men, which is greater, the gold or the temple which sanctifies the gold?
23:18 And, Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift which is upon it, he is bound.
23:19 Blind men, which is greater, the gift or the altar which sanctifies the gift?
23:20 Therefore he who swears by the altar swears by it and by all the things upon it;
23:21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by Him who dwells in it;
23:22 And he who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
23:23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you give a tenth of the mint and the anise and the cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law ? justice and mercy and faithfulness. But these you should have done and not neglected the others.
23:24 Blind guides, who strain out the gnat but swallow the camel!
23:25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but inwardly they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
23:26 Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and the dish so that their outside also may become clean.
23:27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you resemble whitewashed graves, which outwardly appear beautiful but inwardly are full of dead men s bones and all uncleanness.
23:28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
23:29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build up the graves of the prophets and adorn the tombs of the righteous,
23:30 And say, If we had been there in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
23:31 So then you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
23:32 And you, fill up the measure of your fathers!
23:33 Serpents! Brood of vipers! How shall you escape the judgment of Gehenna?
23:34 Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets and 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,
23:35 So that upon 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 murdered between the temple and the altar.
23:36 Truly I say to you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
23:37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I desired to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!
23:38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
23:39 For I say to you, You shall by no means see Me from now on until you say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.