Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds, and to his disciples,2 saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have sat down in the chair of Moses.3 Therefore, all things whatsoever that they shall say to you, observe and do. Yet truly, do not choose to act according to their works. For they say, but they do not do.4 For they bind up heavy and unbearable burdens, and they impose them on mens shoulders. But they are not willing to move them with even a finger of their own.5 Truly, they do all their works so that they may be seen by men. For they enlarge their phylacteries and glorify their hems.6 And they love the first places at feasts, and the first chairs in the synagogues,7 and greetings in the marketplace, and to be called Master by men.8 But you must not be called Master. For One is your Master, and you are all brothers.9 And do not choose to call anyone on earth your father. For One is your Father, who is in heaven.10 Neither should you be called teachers. For One is your Teacher, the Christ.11 Whoever is greater among you shall be your minister.12 But whoever has exalted himself, shall be humbled. And whoever has humbled himself, shall be exalted.13 So then: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you close the kingdom of heaven before men. For you yourselves do not enter, and those who are entering, you would not permit to enter.14 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you consume the houses of widows, praying long prayers. Because of this, you shall receive the greater judgment.15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and by land, in order to make one convert. And when he has been converted, you make him twice the son of Hell that you are yourselves.16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say: Whoever will have sworn by the temple, it is nothing. But whoever will have sworn by the gold of the temple is obligated.17 You are foolish and blind! For which is greater: the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?18 And you say: Whoever will have sworn by the altar, it is nothing. But whoever will have sworn by the gift that is on the altar is obligated.19 How blind you are! For which is greater: the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?20 Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears by it, and by all that is on it.21 And whoever will have sworn by the temple, swears by it, and by him who dwells in it.22 And whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits upon it.23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you collect tithes on mint and dill and cumin, but you have abandoned the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, while not omitting the others.24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat, while swallowing a camel!25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you clean what is outside the cup and the dish, but on the inside you are full of avarice and impurity.26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish, and then what is outside becomes clean.27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed sepulchers, which outwardly appear brilliant to men, yet truly, inside, they are filled with the bones of the dead and with all filth.28 So also, you certainly appear to men outwardly to be just. But inwardly you are filled with hypocrisy and iniquity.29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites, who build the sepulchers of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the just.30 And then you say, If we had been there in the days of our fathers, we would not have joined with them in the blood of the prophets.31 And so you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of those who killed the prophets.32 Complete, then, the measure of your fathers.33 You serpents, you brood of vipers! How will you escape from the judgment of Hell?34 For this reason, behold, I send to you prophets and wisemen, and scribes. And some of these you will put to death and crucify; and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,35 so that upon you may fall all the blood of the just, which has been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.36 Amen I say to you, all these things shall fall upon this generation.37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone those who have been sent to you. How often I have wanted to gather your children together, in the way that a hen gathers her young under her wings. But you were not willing!38 Behold, your house shall be abandoned to you, having been deserted.39 For I say to you, you shall not see me again, until you say: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Matthew 23
Seven Woes
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,2 “Thet experts in the lawt and the Phariseess sit on Moses’ seat.3 Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach.t4 Theyt tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them.5 Theyt do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteriess wide and their tasselsts long.6 Theyt love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagoguess7 and elaborate greetingss in the marketplaces, and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers.9 And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ.ts11 Thet greatest among you will be your servant.
12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 “But woe to you, experts in the lawt and you Pharisees, hypocrites!t You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven!t For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.ss
15 “Woe to you, experts in the lawt and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert,t and when you get one,t you make him twice as much a child of hellts as yourselves!
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple is bound by nothing.t But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’17 Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing.t But if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by the oath.’19 You are blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and the one who dwells in it.
22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, experts in the lawt and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tentht of mint, dill, and cumin,s yet you neglect what is more important in the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness! Yous should have done these things without neglecting the others.
24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel!t
25 “Woe to you, experts in the lawt and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,s so that the outside may become clean too!
27 “Woe to you, experts in the lawt and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean.s
28 In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, experts in the lawt and you Pharisees, hypocrites! Yout build tombs for the prophets and decorate the gravest of the righteous.30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,t we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’31 By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.32 Fill up then the measure of your ancestors!
33 You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?ts
34 “For this reason It am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law,t some of whom you will kill and crucify,s and some you will flogt in your synagoguess and pursue from town to town,35 so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah,s whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
36 I tell you the truth,t this generation will be held responsible for all these things!t
Judgment on Israel
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,ss you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you!t How often I have longeds to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, butt you would have none of it!t38 Look, your house is left to you desolate!
39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”s