NET Bible

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 experts in the law and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat.

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

3Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach.

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 loads, hard to carry, and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them.

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 people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels 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.

6They love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues

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

7and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces, and to have people call them 'Rabbi.'

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 one 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.

10Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one teacher, the Christ.

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

11The greatest among you will be your servant.

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

12And whoever 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, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven! For you neither enter nor permit those trying to 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.

15"Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, and when you get one, 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, 'Whoever swears by the temple is bound by nothing. But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the 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.'

17Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?

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

18And, 'Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing. But if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by the oath.'

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

19You are blind! 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 the one 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 the one who sits on 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, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you neglect what is more important in the law--justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You should have done these things 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.

24Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel!

24"You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

25"Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, 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.

26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may become clean too!

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, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean.

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.

28In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside 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, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves 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,

30And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have participated 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.'

31By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants 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 ancestors!

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

33You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?

33"You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?

34"For this reason I am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue 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 will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple 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.

36I tell you the truth, this generation will be held responsible for all these things!

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

37"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it!

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.

38Look, 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 from now until you say, 'Blessed is the one 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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