New King James Version

King James Bible

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

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

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

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

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.

3All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

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.

4For 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.

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

5But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

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

6And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

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

7And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

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

8But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

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

9And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

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

10Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

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

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

12And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

12And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall 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.

13But 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.

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.

14Woe 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.

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.

15Woe 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.

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.’

16Woe 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!

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

17Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

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.’

18And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.

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

19Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

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

20Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

21He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.

21And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

22And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.

22And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

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.

23Woe 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.

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

24Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and 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.

25Woe 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.

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

26Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

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.

27Woe 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.

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

28Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

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

29Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres 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.’

30And 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.

31“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

31Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

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

32Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

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

33Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of 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,

34Wherefore, 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:

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.

35That 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.

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

36Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

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!

37O 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!

38See! Your house is left to you desolate;

38Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

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!’ ”

39For 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.

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

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.