Matthew 23
23
Woes to Scribes and Pharisees
(Luke 11:37–54)
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 loads #23:4 SBL, NE, and WH They tie up heavy loads and 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.#23:7 Literally and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by men
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.#23:13 BYZ and TR include 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. See Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47.
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 hell #23:15 Greek Gehenna; also in verse 33 as 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.#23:24 See Leviticus 11:4 and Leviticus 11:23, where camels and gnats are both forbidden as food.
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,#23:26 NA does not include 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,#23:32 Or Go ahead, then, and complete 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 in town after 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
(Luke 13:31–35)
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.#23:38 NE and WH do not include 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.’#23:39 Psalms 118:26”
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The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain.
Matthew 23
23
1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, 2saying, The scribes and the Pharisees have set themselves down in Moses' seat: 3all things therefore, whatever they may tell you, do and keep. But do not after their works, for they say and do not, 4but bind burdens heavy and hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of men, but will not move them with their finger. 5And all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6and love the chief place in feasts and the first seats in the synagogues, 7and salutations in the market-places, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. 8But ye, be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your instructor, and all ye are brethren. 9And call not any one your father upon the earth; for one is your Father, he who is in the heavens. 10Neither be called instructors, for one is your instructor, the Christ. 11But the greatest of you shall be your servant. 12And whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men; for ye do not enter, nor do ye suffer those that are entering to go in. 14#Verse 14 of A.V. is not in the best MSS. 15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye compass the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and when he is become such, ye make him twofold more the son of hell than yourselves. 16Woe to you, blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor. 17Fools and blind, for which is greater, the gold, or the temple which sanctifies 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. 19Fools and blind ones, for which is greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifies the gift? 20He therefore that swears by the altar swears by it and by all things that are upon it. 21And he that swears by the temple swears by it and by him that dwells in it. 22And he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him that sits upon it. 23Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye pay tithes of mint and anise and cummin, and ye have left aside the weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy and faith: these ye ought to have done and not have left those aside. 24Blind guides, who strain out the gnat, but drink down the camel. 25Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within they are full of rapine and intemperance. 26Blind Pharisee, make clean first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that their outside also may become clean. 27Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like whited sepulchres, which appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28Thus also ye, outwardly ye appear righteous to men, but within are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets and adorn the tombs of the just, 30and ye 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. 31So that ye bear witness of yourselves that ye are sons of those who slew the prophets: 32and ye, fill ye up the measure of your fathers. 33Serpents, offspring of vipers, how should ye escape the judgment of hell?
34Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them ye will kill and crucify, and some of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and will persecute from city to city; 35so that all righteous blood shed upon the earth should come upon you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 37Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those that are sent unto her, how often would I have gathered thy children as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38Behold, your house is left unto you desolate; 39for I say unto you, Ye shall in no wise see me henceforth until ye say, Blessed be he that comes in the name of the Lord.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.