Matthew 23

Pharisaism Exposed

11Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2saying: “2The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 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. 43They 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 they do all their deeds 4to be noticed by men; for they 5broaden their 6phylacteries and lengthen 7the tassels of their garments. 6They 8love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called 9Rabbi by men. 8But 10do not be called 11Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9Do not call anyone on earth your father; for 12One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10Do not be called 13leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 1114But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 1215Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

Eight Woes

13“16But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, 17because you shut off the kingdom of heaven 18from 19people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14[20Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because 21you 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, because you travel around on sea and land to make one 2223proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of 2425hell as yourselves.

16“Woe to you, 26blind guides, who say, ‘27Whoever swears by the 28temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the 29temple is obligated.’ 17You fools and blind men! 30Which is 31more important, the gold or the 32temple that sanctified the gold? 18And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the 33offering on it, he is obligated.’ 19You blind men, 34which is 35more important, the 36offering, or the altar that sanctifies the 37offering? 20Therefore, 38whoever swears by the altar, swears both by 39the altar and by everything on it. 21And 40whoever swears by the 41temple, swears both by 42the temple and by Him who 43dwells within it. 22And 44whoever swears by heaven, 45swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

23“46Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and 47cummin, 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. 24You 48blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

25“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For 49you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full 50of robbery and self-indulgence. 26You blind Pharisee, first 51clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

27“52Woe 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. 28So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29“53Woe 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 been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31So you testify against yourselves, that you 54are 55sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. 33You serpents, 56you brood of vipers, how 57will you escape the 58sentence of 5960hell?

34“61Therefore, behold, 62I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will 63scourge in your synagogues, and 64persecute from city to city, 35so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous 65Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the 66son of Berechiah, whom 67you murdered between the 68temple and the altar. 36Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon 69this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

37“70Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who 71kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, 72the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38Behold, 73your house is being left to you desolate! 39For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘74Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”