23:1  Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,


23:2  Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:


23:3  All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, [that]

observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say,

and do not.


23:4  For 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.


23:5  But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they

make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their

garments,


23:6  And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief

seats in the synagogues,


23:7  And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men,

Rabbi, Rabbi.


23:8  But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, [even]

Christ; and all ye are brethren.


23:9  And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is

your Father, which is in heaven.


23:10  Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master,

[even] Christ.


23:11  But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.


23:12  And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he

that shall humble himself shall be exalted.


23:13  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.


23:14  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.


23:15  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.


23:16  Woe unto you, [ye] blind 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!


23:17  [Ye] fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold,

or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?


23:18  And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing;

but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.


23:19  [Ye] fools and blind: for whether [is] greater, the gift,

or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?


23:20  Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it,

and by all things thereon.


23:21  And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and

by him that dwelleth therein.


23:22  And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne

of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.


23:23  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye

pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the

weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith:

these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.


23:24  [Ye] blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a

camel.


23:25  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.


23:26  [Thou] blind Pharisee, cleanse first that [which is]

within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be

clean also.


23:27  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's] bones, and of all

uncleanness.


23:28  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but

within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.


23:29  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because

ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres

of the righteous,


23:30  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.


23:31  Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are

the children of them which killed the prophets.


23:32  Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.


23:33  [Ye] serpents, [ye] generation of vipers, how can ye

escape the damnation of hell?


23:34  Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men,

 and scribes: and [some] of them ye shall kill and crucify; and

[some] of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and

persecute [them] from city to city:


23:35  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.


23:36  Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon

this generation.


23:37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [thou] that 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 [her] wings, and ye would not!


23:38  Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.


23:39  For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till

ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the

Lord.


 


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