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

²saying , “ The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses ’ seat .

³All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe , observe and do , but don’ t do their works ; for they say , and don’ t do .

⁴For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men ’s shoulders ; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them .

⁵But they do all their works to be seen by men . They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the fringes of their garments,[#23:5 phylacteries (tefillin in Hebrew) are small leather pouches that some Jewish men wear on their forehead and arm in prayer. They are used to carry a small scroll with some Scripture in it. See Deuteronomy 6:8.; #23:5 or, tassels]

⁶and love the place of honour at feasts , the best seats in the synagogues ,

⁷the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘ Rabbi , Rabbi ’ by men .[#23:7 NU omits the second “Rabbi”.]

⁸But you are not to be called ‘ Rabbi ’, for one is your teacher , the Christ , and all of you are brothers.

⁹Call no man on the earth your father , for one is your Father , he who is in heaven .

¹⁰Neither be called masters , for one is your master , the Christ .

¹¹But he who is greatest amongst you will be your servant .

¹²Whoever exalts himself will be humbled , and whoever humbles himself will be exalted .

¹³“ Woe to you , scribes and Pharisees , hypocrites ! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretence you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

¹⁴“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.[#23:14 Some Greek texts reverse the order of verses 13 and 14, and some omit verse 13, numbering verse 14 as 13. NU omits verse 14.]

¹⁵Woe to you , scribes and Pharisees , hypocrites ! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte ; and when he becomes one , you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves .[#23:15 or, Hell]

¹⁶“ Woe to you , you blind guides , who say , ‘ Whoever swears by the temple , it is nothing ; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple , he is obligated .’

¹⁷You blind fools ! For which is greater , the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold ?

¹⁸And , ‘ Whoever swears by the altar , it is nothing ; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it , he is obligated .’

¹⁹You blind fools! For which is greater , the gift , or the altar that sanctifies the gift ?

²⁰He therefore who swears by the altar , swears by it and by everything on it .

²¹He who swears by the temple , swears by it and by him who has been living in it .[#23:21 NU reads “lives”]

²²He who swears by heaven , swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it .

²³“ Woe to you , scribes and Pharisees , hypocrites ! For you tithe mint , dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law : justice , mercy , and faith . But you ought to have done these , and not to have left the other undone.[#23:23 cumin is an aromatic seed from Cuminum cyminum, resembling caraway in flavour and appearance. It is used as a spice.]

²⁴You blind guides , who strain out a gnat , and swallow a camel !

²⁵“ Woe to you , scribes and Pharisees , hypocrites ! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter , but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.[#23:25 TR reads “self-indulgence” instead of “unrighteousness”]

²⁶You blind Pharisee , first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter , that its outside may become clean also .

²⁷“ Woe to you , scribes and Pharisees , hypocrites ! For you are like whitened tombs , which outwardly appear beautiful , but inwardly are full of dead men ’s bones and of all uncleanness.

²⁸Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men , but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

²⁹“ Woe to you , scribes and Pharisees , hypocrites ! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous ,

³⁰and say , ‘ If we had lived in the days of our fathers , we wouldn’ t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets .’

³¹Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets .

³²Fill up , then , the measure of your fathers .

³³You serpents , you offspring of vipers , how will you escape the judgement of Gehenna?[#23:33 or, Hell]

³⁴Therefore , behold , I send to you prophets , wise men , and scribes . Some of them you will kill and crucify ; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city ,

³⁵that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth , from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar .

³⁶Most certainly I tell you , all these things will come upon this generation .

³⁷“ Jerusalem , Jerusalem , who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her ! How often I would have gathered your children together , even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings , and you would not !

³⁸Behold , your house is left to you desolate .

³⁹For I tell you , you will not see me from now on , until you say , ‘ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord !’”[#Psalms 118:26]