Matthew

23 Then Jesus spake unto the multitudes and unto his disciples,

2 saying—Upon Moses’ seat have sat down the Scribes and the Pharisees:

3 All things therefore whatsoever they tell you do and observe,—But according to their works do ye not, For they say and do not perform.

4 But they bind together heavy burdens And lay upon men’s shoulders, Whereas they with their finger are not willing to move them.

5 But all their works they do to be gazed at by men,—For they make broad their amulets And make large their fringes,

6 And dearly love the first couch in the chief meals And the first seats in the synagogues,

7 And the salutations in the market-places And to be called by men Rabbi.

8 But ye—do not be called Rabbi,—For one is your Teacher, And all ye are brethren;

9 And father be none of you called upon the earth, For one is your Father the Heavenly;

10 Neither be called leaders, For your leader is one the Christ;

11 And the greatest of you shall be to you a minister;

12 And whoever shall exalt himself shall be abased, And whoever shall abase himself shall be exalted.

13 []

14 But alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; Because ye are locking up the kingdom of the heavens before men,—For ye are not entering, Neither them who are entering suffer ye to enter.

15 Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: Because ye compass sea and dry land to make one convert—And when it is done ye make him a son of gehenna twofold more than ye.

16 Alas for you, blind guides! that say—Whosoever shall swear by the Temple it is nothing, But whosoever shall swear by the gold of the Temple is bound:

17 Foolish and blind! for which is greater, The gold or the Temple that hath hallowed the gold?

18 And whosoever shall swear by the altar it is nothing, But whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is bound:

19 Blind! for which is greater The gift or the altar that halloweth the gift?

20 He therefore that hath sworn by the altar Sweareth by it and by all that is upon it;

21 And he that hath sworn by the Temple Sweareth by it and by him who dwelleth therein;

22 And he that hath sworn by heaven Sweareth by the throne of God and by him who sitteth thereupon.

23 Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; Because ye tithe the mint and the anise and the cummin,—And have dismissed the weightier matters of the law—the justice, the mercy and the faith; Whereas these it was binding to do, And those not to dismiss.

24 Blind guides! Straining out the gnat, But the camel swallowing.

25 Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; Because ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish,—While within they are full of plunder and intemperance.

26 Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the inside of the cup [and of the dish], That the outside thereof may become clean.

27 Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; Because ye make yourselves like sepulchres whitewashed, Which outside indeed appear beautiful, But within are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness,—

28 Thus ye also outside indeed appear to men righteous, But within are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; Because ye build the sepulchres of the prophets And adorn the monuments of the righteous,

30 and say—If we had been in the days of our fathers We would not have been their partners in the blood of the prophets:

31 So that ye bear witness against yourselves, That ye are sons of them who murdered the prophets.

32 And ye fill ye up the measure of your fathers!

33 Serpents! broods of vipers! how should ye flee from the judgment of gehenna?

34 For this cause lo! I send unto you prophets and wise men and scribes,—Some from among them ye will slay and crucify, And some from among them ye will—Scourge in your synagogues And pursue from city to city:

35 That there may come upon you—All righteous blood poured out upon the earth From the blood of Abel the righteous, Unto the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye murdered between the Temple and the altar.

36 Verily I say unto you—All these things will have come upon this generation.

37 Jerusalem! Jerusalem! That slayeth the prophets And stoneth them that have been sent unto her,—How often would I have gathered thy children, Like as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings,—And ye would not!

38 Lo! your house is left to you;

39 For I say unto you—In no wise may ye see me henceforth, Until ye say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.