Matthew 23

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

2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat

3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe thatobserve and do but do not ye after their works for they say and do not

4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne and lay themon men’s shoulders but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers

5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments

6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues

7 And greetings in the markets and to be called of men Rabbi Rabbi

8 But be not ye called Rabbi for one is your Master evenChrist and all ye are brethren

9 And call no manyour father upon the earth for one is your Father which is in heaven

10 Neither be ye called masters for one is your Master evenChrist

11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant

12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted

13 ¶ But woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in

14 Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye devour widows’ houses and for a pretence make long prayer therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation

15 Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte and when he is made ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves

16 Woe unto you yeblind guides which say Whosoever shall swear by the temple it is nothing but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple he is a debtor

17 Yefools and blind for whether is greater the gold or the temple that sanctifieth the gold

18 And Whosoever shall swear by the altar it is nothing but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it he is guilty

19 Yefools and blind for whether isgreater the gift or the altar that sanctifieth the gift

20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar sweareth by it and by all things thereon

21 And whoso shall swear by the temple sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth therein

22 And he that shall swear by heaven sweareth by the throne of God and by him that sitteth thereon

23 Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin and have omitted the weightier mattersof the law judgment mercy and faith these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone

24 Yeblind guides which strain at a gnat and swallow a camel

25 Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter but within they are full of extortion and excess

26 Thoublind Pharisee cleanse first that which iswithin the cup and platter that the outside of them may be clean also

27 Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for ye are like unto whited sepulchres which indeed appear beautiful outward but are within full of dead men’sbones and of all uncleanness

28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity

29 Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites because ye build the tombs of the prophets and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous

30 And 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

31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets

32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers

33 Yeserpents yegeneration of vipers how can ye escape the damnation of hell

34 ¶ Wherefore behold I send unto you prophets and wise men and scribes and someof them ye shall kill and crucify and someof them shall ye scourge in your synagogues and persecute themfrom city to city

35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias whom ye slew between the temple and the altar

36 Verily I say unto you All these things shall come upon this generation

37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem thouthat killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under herwings and ye would not

38 Behold your house is left unto you desolate

39 For I say unto you Ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say Blessed ishe that cometh in the name of the Lord