Matthew

Woes to Scribes and Pharisees

1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:

2“The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

3So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

4They tie up heavy, burdensome loadsand lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

5All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.

6They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,

7the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.

8But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.

9And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.

10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.

11The greatest among you shall be your servant.

12For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.

14This translation does not include this passage.

15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hellas you are.

16Woe 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.’

17You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?

18And you 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.’

19You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?

20So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

21And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it.

22And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it.

23Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

25Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish,so that the outside may become clean as well.

27Woe to you, scribes 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 every kind of impurity.

28In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

29Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.

30And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’

31So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.

32Fill up, then,the measure of the sin of your fathers.

33You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?

34Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town.

35And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

36Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

38Look, your house is left to you desolate.

39For I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

1Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,

2Saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses.

3All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not; for they say, and do not.

4For they bind heavy and insupportable burdens, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but with a finger of their own they will not move them.

5And all their works they do for to be seen of men. For they make their phylacteries broad, and enlarge their fringes.

6And they love the first places at feasts, and the first chairs in the synagogues,

7And salutations in the market place, and to be called by men, Rabbi.

8But be not you called Rabbi. For one is your master; and all you are brethren.

9And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven.

10Neither be ye called masters; for one is you master, Christ.

11He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant.

12And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

13But woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men, for you yourselves do not enter in; and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter.

14Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because you devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. For this you shall receive the greater judgment.

15Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves.

16Woe to you blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but he that shall swear by the gold of the temple, is a debtor.

17Ye foolish and blind; for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

18And whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, is a debtor.

19Ye blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

20He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things that are upon it:

21And whosoever shall swear by temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it:

22And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

23Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you tithe mint, and anise, and cummin, and have left the weightier things of the law; judgment, and mercy, and faith. These things you ought to have done, and not to leave those undone.

24Blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.

25Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within you are full of rapine and uncleanness.

26Thou blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside may become clean.

27Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you are like to whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful, but within are full of dead men’s bones, and of all filthiness.

28So you also outwardly indeed appear to men just; but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

29Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; that build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the monuments of the just,

30And 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.

31Wherefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of them that killed the prophets.

32Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

33You serpents, generation of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of hell?

34Therefore behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you will put to death and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city:

35That upon you may come all the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.

36Amen I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation.

37Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest not?

38Behold, you house shall be left to you, desolate.

39For I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth till you say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.