English Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

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

1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,

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

2saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;

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

3therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.

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.

4"They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.

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

5"But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden 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

6"They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues,

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

7and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.

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

8"But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.

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

9"Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

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

10"Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.

11The greatest among you shall be your servant.

11"But the greatest among you shall be your servant.

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

12"Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall 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"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

14	14"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; 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"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

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"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.'

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

17"You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?

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.’

18"And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.'

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

19"You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering?

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

20"Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it.

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

21"And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it.

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

22"And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon 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"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.

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

24"You 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 the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

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

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

26"You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

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"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.

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

28"So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly 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"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn 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.’

30and say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'

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

31"So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

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

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

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

33"You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of 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"Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and 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,

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.

35so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

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

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

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"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

38See, your house is left to you desolate.

38"Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!

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

39"For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"

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