English Standard Version

International Standard Version

1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,

1Then Jesus told the crowds and his disciples,

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

2"The scribes and the Pharisees administer the authority of Moses,

3so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.

3So do whatever they tell you and follow it, but stop doing what they do, because they don't do what they say.

4They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.

4They tie up burdens that are heavy and unbearable and lay them on people's shoulders, but they refuse to lift a finger to remove them.

5They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,

5"They do everything to be seen by people. They increase the size of their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.

6and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues

6They love to have the places of honor at festivals, the best seats in the synagogues,

7and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

7to be greeted in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi' by people.

8But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.

8"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' because you have only one teacher, and all of you are brothers.

9And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.

9And don't call anyone on earth 'Father,' because you have only one Father, the one in heaven.

10Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.

10Nor are you to be called 'Teachers,' because you have only one teacher, the Messiah!

11The greatest among you shall be your servant.

11The person who is greatest among you must be your servant.

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

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

13“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.

13"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door to the kingdom from heaven in people's faces. You don't go in yourselves, and you don't allow those who are trying to enter to go in.

14	14"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows' houses and say long prayers to cover it up. Therefore, you will receive greater condemnation!

15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

15"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make a single convert, and when this happens you make him twice as fit for hell as you are.

16“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’

16"How terrible it will be for you, blind guides! You say, 'Whoever swears an oath by the sanctuary is excused, but whoever swears an oath by the gold of the sanctuary must keep his oath.'

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

17You blind fools! What is more important, the gold or the sanctuary that made the gold holy?

18And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’

18Again you say, 'Whoever swears an oath by the altar is excused, but whoever swears by the gift that is on it must keep his oath.'

19You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?

19You blind men! Which is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy?

20So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

20Therefore, the one who swears an oath by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

21And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it.

21The one who swears an oath by the sanctuary swears by it and by the one who lives there.

22And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

22And the one who swears an oath by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.

23“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

23"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your mint, dill, and cummin, but have neglected the more important matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the things you should have practiced, without neglecting the others.

24You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

24You blind guides! You filter out a gnat, yet swallow a camel!

25“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

25"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but on the inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

26You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

26You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that its outside may also be clean.

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

27"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead people's bones and every kind of impurity.

28So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

28In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

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

29"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.

30saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’

30Then you say, 'If we had been living in the days of our ancestors, we would have had no part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'

31Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

31Therefore, you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

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

32Then finish what your ancestors started!

33You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?

33You snakes, you children of serpents! How can you escape being condemned to hell?

34Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,

34"That is why I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will whip in your synagogues and persecute from town to town.

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

35As a result, you will be held accountable for all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Berechiah's son Zechariah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

36Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

36I tell all of you with certainty, all these things will happen to those living today."

37“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

37"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones to death those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

38See, your house is left to you desolate.

38Look! Your house is left abandoned!

39For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

39I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'How blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

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