New King James Version

International Standard Version

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

1Then Jesus told the crowds and his disciples,

2saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

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

3Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.

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

4For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

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.

5But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.

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

6They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,

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

7greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’

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

8But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.

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

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

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

10And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.

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

11But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

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

12And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who 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 up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering 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.

14Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

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!

15“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son 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, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’

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.'

17Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

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

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

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.'

19Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

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

20Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.

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

21He who 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 he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on 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 pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

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.

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

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

25“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion 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.

26Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

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 indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’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.

28Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside 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! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn 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.

30and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in 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.'

31“Therefore you are witnesses 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’ guilt.

32Then finish what your ancestors started!

33Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?

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

34Therefore, indeed, I send 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,

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.

35that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple 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.

36Assuredly, 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 one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but 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 say to you, you shall see Me no more till 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!'"

The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.