New King James Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

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.

2saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves 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 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.

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.

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.

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

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 best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,

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

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

7and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.

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

8"But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

12"Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles 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.

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.

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"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, 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, 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, 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 swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.'

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

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, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’

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

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

19"You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering?

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

20"Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it.

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

21"And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it.

22And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him 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, 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! 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, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

24"You blind guides, who strain out 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.

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

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, 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! 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.

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

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.'

31“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons 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 fathers’ guilt.

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

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

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

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,

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 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.

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

36"Truly I say to you, all these things will 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!

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.

38See! Your house is left to you desolate;

38"Behold, your house is being 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!’ ”

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!'"

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

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org