Matthew 23:1–39
Jesus Characterizes the Pharisees
23 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: a“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you 1to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for bthey say, and do not do. 4 cFor they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to dbe seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6 eThey love the 2best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ 8 fBut you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your 3Teacher, 4the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; gfor One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11 But hhe who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 iAnd whoever exalts himself will be 5humbled, and he who humbles himself will be 6exalted.
13 “But jwoe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 7Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! kFor you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of 8hell as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, lblind guides, who say, m‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ 17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold nor the temple that 9sanctifies the gold? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ 19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift oor the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore he who 1swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by pHim who 2dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by qthe throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! rFor you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and shave neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! tFor you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and 3self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! uFor you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 v“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and 4adorn the monuments of the righteous, 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.’
31 “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that wyou are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 xFill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33 Serpents, ybrood 5of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 34 zTherefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: asome of them you will kill and crucify, and bsome of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 cthat on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, dfrom the blood of righteous Abel to ethe blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
37 f“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets gand stones those who are sent to her! How often hI wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks iunder her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, j‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”