Mat 23 | Anderson | STEP | Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes, and to his disciples,

‏ Matthew 23

1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes, and to his disciples, 2 saying: The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat: 3 therefore, all things that they command you to observe, observe and do. But do not according to their works: for they command, and do not. 4 For they bind up burdens that are heavy and hard to be borne, and lay them on the shoulders of men; but they refuse to move them with one of their fingers. 5 And they do all their works for the purpose of being seen by men. They make their amulets broad, and enlarge the fringes of their mantles. 6 They also love the most honorable places at suppers, and the first seats in the synagogues, 7 and salutations in the markets, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

8 But you must not be called Rabbi; for one is your leader, and all of you are brethren. 9 And call no man on earth your father; for one is your Father, who is in heaven. 10 And be not called leaders; for one is your leader, the Christ. 11 And the greatest among you shall be your minister. 12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

13 But alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you eat up the houses of widows, and for a pretext make long prayers. For this reason, you shall receive the greater condemnation. 14 Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you close the kingdom of heaven in the face of men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you suffer those who are entering, to go in. 15 Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you traverse sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him twofold more a child of hell than yourselves.

16 Alas for you, blind guides! who say, Whoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, becomes a debtor. 17 Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18 And, Whoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever shall swear by the gift that is on it, becomes a debtor. 19 Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears by it, and by all that is on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him that dwells in it. 22 And he that swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him that sits upon it.

23 Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, its justice, its mercy, and its faithfulness. These you ought to have done, and those you ought not to have neglected. 24 Blind guides! who strain out a gnat, but swallow a camel. 25 Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you make clean the outside of the cup and the plate; but within they are full of rapine and excess. 26 Blind Pharisee! first make clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside of them also may be clean.

27 Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitened sepulchers, which without appear beautiful, but within are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 So also you outwardly appear to men to be just, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29 Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the tombs of the prophets, and adorn the sepulchers 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 So then you testify against yourselves, that you are the sons of those who killed the prophets. 32 Do you also fill up the measure of your fathers. 33 Serpents, generation of vipers, how can you escape the condemnation of hell?

34 For this reason, behold, I send you prophets and wise men and scribes; and some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city; 35 that upon you may come all the righteous blood which has been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just to the blood of Zachariah, the son of Barachiah, whom you slew between the temple and the altar. 36 Verily I say to you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest those who are sent to thee, how often have I desired to gather thy children together, as a bird gathers her young under her wings, and you refused. 38 Behold, your house is left to you deserted. 39 For I say to you, That you shall not see me henceforth, till you shall say, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.