23
1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying,
The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe,
thatobserve and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay
themon men’s shoulders; but they
themselves
will not move them with one of their fingers.
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the
borders of their garments,
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master,
even
Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 And call no
manyour father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master,
even
Christ.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men:
for ye neither go in
yourselves,
neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make
long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and
when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
16 Woe unto you,
yeblind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear
by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
17 Yefools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon
it, he is guilty.
19 Yefools and blind: for whether
is
greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have
omitted the weightier
matters
of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24 Yeblind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the
platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Thoublind Pharisee, cleanse first that
which iswithin the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed
appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead
men’sbones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish
the sepulchres of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the
blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 Yeserpents,
yegeneration of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and
someof them ye shall kill and crucify; and
someof them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute
themfrom city to city:
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel
unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
thouthat killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered
thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under
herwings, and ye would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed
ishe that cometh in the name of the Lord.