RKJNT - Matthew - 23

23:1  Then Jesus spoke to the multitude, and to his disciples,

23:2  Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

23:3  Therefore, all they bid you to observe, that observe and do; but do not imitate their works: for they say, but do not do.

23:4  For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them upon men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

23:5  But all their works they do to be seen by men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

23:6  And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

23:7  And greetings in the markets, and to be called by men, Rabbi.

23:8  But do not be called Rabbi: for one is your Teacher; and all of you are brethren.

23:9  And call no man upon the earth your father: for one is your Father, who is in heaven.

23:10  Neither be called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

23:11  But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

23:12  And whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and he who shall humble himself shall be exalted.

23:13  But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you do not go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

23:14  [Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: therefore you shall receive the greater condemnation.]

23:15  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cross sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

23:16  Woe to you, blind guides, who say, Whoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

23:17  You blind fools: which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

23:18  And, Whoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is upon it, he is obligated.

23:19  You blind fools: which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

23:20  Therefore, whoever shall swear by the altar, swears by it, and by all things on it.

23:21  And whoever shall swear 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 on it.

23:23  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, justice, mercy, and faithfulness: these you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

23:24  You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.

23:25  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 self-indulgence.

23:26  You blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

23:27  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

23:28  Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

23:29  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you build the tombs of the prophets, and adorn the sepulchres of the righteous,

23:30  And say, If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

23:31  Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of those who killed the prophets.

23:32  Fill up, then, the measure of the sins of your fathers.

23:33  You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape being condemned to hell?

23:34  Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you shall kill and crucify; and some of them you shall scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city:

23:35  That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berachiah, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.

23:36  Truly I say to you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

23:37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets, and stone those who are sent to you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not let me!

23:38  Behold, your house is left to you desolate.

23:39  For I say to you, You shall not see me again, until you shall say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.