Matthew 23

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Jesus speaks sharp words to the scribes and Pharisees

Then Jesus said to the people and to his disciples: Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
The scribes and the Pharisees have the authority of Moses; saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses’ seat.
All things, then, which they give you orders to do, these do and keep: but do not take their works as your example, for they say and do not. All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t do.
They make hard laws and put great weights on men's backs; but they themselves will not put a finger to them. For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
But all their works they do so as to be seen by men: for they make wide their phylacteries, and the edges of their robes, But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad, enlarge the fringes of their garments,
And the things desired by them are the first places at feasts, and the chief seats in the Synagogues, and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
And words of respect in the market-places, and to be named by men, Teacher. the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.
But you may not be named Teacher: for one is your teacher, and you are all brothers. But don’t you be called ‘Rabbi,’ for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.
And give no man the name of father on earth: because one is your Father, who is in heaven. Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
And you may not be named guides: because one is your Guide, even Christ. Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
But let the greatest among you be your servant. But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
And whoever makes himself high will be made low, and whoever makes himself low will be made high. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Crimes of the Pharisees

But a curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! because you are shutting the kingdom of heaven against men: for you do not go in yourselves, and those who are going in, you keep back. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
[] “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you go about land and sea to get one disciple and, having him, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much of a son of Gehenna as yourselves.
A curse is on you, blind guides, who say, Whoever takes an oath by the Temple, it is nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the gold of the Temple, he is responsible. “Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’
You foolish ones and blind: which is greater, the gold, or the Temple which makes the gold holy? You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
And, Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the offering which is on it, he is responsible. ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated?’
You blind ones: which is greater, the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy? You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
He, then, who takes an oath by the altar, takes it by the altar and by all things on it. He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it.
And he who takes an oath by the Temple, takes it by the Temple and by him whose house it is. He who swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him who was living in it.
And he who takes an oath by heaven, takes it by the seat of God, and by him who is seated on it. He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it.
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you make men give a tenth of all sorts of sweet-smelling plants, but you give no thought to the more important things of the law, righteousness, and mercy, and faith; but it is right for you to do these, and not to let the others be undone. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
You blind guides, who take out a fly from your drink, but make no trouble over a camel. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of violent behaviour and uncontrolled desire. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.
You blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside may become equally clean. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also.
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you are like the resting-places of the dead, which are made white, and seem beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and of all unclean things. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
Even so you seem to men to be full of righteousness, but inside you are all false and full of wrongdoing. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! because you put up buildings for housing the dead bodies of the prophets, and make fair the last resting-places of good men, and say, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous,
If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in the blood of the prophets. and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
So that you are witnesses against yourselves that you are the sons of those who put the prophets to death. Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.
Make full, then, the measure of your fathers. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
You snakes, offspring of snakes, how will you be kept from the punishment of hell? You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?

The guilt of Jerusalem

For this reason, I send you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them you will put to death and put on the cross, and to some of them you will give blows in your Synagogues, driving them from town to town; Therefore, behold, I send to 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;
So that on you may come all the blood of the upright on the earth, from the blood of upright Abel to the blood of Zachariah, son of Barachiah, whom you put to death between the Temple and the altar. that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.
Truly I say to you, All these things will come on this generation. Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, putting to death the prophets, and stoning those who are sent to her! Again and again would I have taken your children to myself as a bird takes her young ones under her wings, and you would not! “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!
See, your house is made waste. Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
For I say to you, You will not see me from this time till you say, A blessing on him who comes in the name of the Lord. For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
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