Matthew 23
1Then spoke Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2Saying,
The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not according to their works: for they say, and do not.
4For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5But all their works they do to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6And love the uppermost places at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8But you be not called Rabbi: for one is your Teacher, even Christ; and all you are brothers.
9And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, who is in heaven.
10Neither be you called masters: for one is your Teacher, even Christ.
11But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither allow you them that are entering to go in.
14Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore you shall receive the greater condemnation.
15Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you travel on sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
16Woe unto you, 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 bound!
17You fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever swears by the gift that is upon it, he is bound.
19You fools and blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20Whoever therefore shall swear by the altar, swears by it, and by all things thereon.
21And whoever shall swear by the temple, swears by it, and by him who dwells therein.
22And he that shall swear by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits thereon.
23Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, justice, mercy, and faith: these ought you to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26You blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like unto whitewashed sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28Even so you also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you build the tombs of the prophets, and adorn the sepulchers of the righteous,
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.
31Therefore you are witnesses unto yourselves, that you are the children of them who killed the prophets.
32Fill you up then the measure of your fathers.
33You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the judgment of hell?
34Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall you scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
35That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you slew between the temple and the altar.
36Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets, and stone them which are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not!
38Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39For I say unto you, you shall not see me again, till you shall say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Commentaries for Matthew 23:0