New King James Version

Christian Standard Bible

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

1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples:

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

2"The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair 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.

3Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don't do what they do, because they don't practice what they teach.

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 heavy loads that are hard to carry and put them on people's shoulders, but they themselves aren't willing to lift a finger to move them.

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

5They do everything to be seen by others: They enlarge their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.

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

6They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues,

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

7greetings 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 one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters.

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

9Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven.

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

10You are not to be called instructors either, because you have one Instructor, the Messiah.

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

11The greatest among you will 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"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you don't go in, and you don't allow those 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.

14

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"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one convert, and when he becomes one, 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"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever takes an oath by the temple, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.'

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

17Blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctified 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.’

18Also, 'Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it means nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.'

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

19Blind people! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

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

20Therefore, the one who takes an oath by the altar takes an oath 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 takes an oath by the temple takes an oath by it and by him who dwells in it.

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

22And the one who takes an oath by heaven takes an oath by God's throne and by him 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"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These things should have been done without neglecting the others.

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

24Blind guides! You strain out a gnat, but gulp down 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"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but 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.

26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside of it may also become 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"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead 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 seem 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"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves 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 you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we wouldn't have taken part with them in shedding the prophets' blood.'

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

31So you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

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

32Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors' sins!

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

33"Snakes! Brood of vipers! 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,

34This is why I am sending you prophets, sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and pursue 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.

35So all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be charged to you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

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

36Truly I tell you, all these things will come on 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!

37"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 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!

38See! Your house is left to you desolate;

38See, your house is left to 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 tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord '!"

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

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.