Matthew 23:7-39

7and personal greetings in the marketplaces, and being called 12Rabbi by the people. 8But as for you, 3do not be called 45Rabbi; for only One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. 9And do not call anyone on earth your father; for only 6One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10And do not be called 7leaders; for only One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 118But the greatest of you shall be your servant. 129Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

13“10But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, 11because you shut the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter it yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.12

15“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one 1314proselyte; and when he becomes one, you 15make him twice as much a son of 1617hell as yourselves.

16“Woe to you, 18blind guides, who say, ‘19Whoever swears by the 20temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the 21temple is obligated.’ 17You fools and blind men! 22Which is 23more important, the gold or the 24temple that sanctified the gold? 18And you say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the 25offering that is on it is obligated.’ 19You blind men, 26which is 27more important, the 28offering or the altar that sanctifies the 29offering? 20Therefore, the one who swears by the altar, swears both by 30the altar and by everything on it. 21And the one who swears by the 31temple, swears both by 32the temple and by Him who 33dwells in it. 22And the one who swears by 34heaven, 35swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

23“36Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and 37cumin, 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 38blind guides, who 39strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

25“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For 40you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full 41of robbery and self-indulgence. 26You blind Pharisee, first 42clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the 43outside of it may also become clean.

27“44Woe 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 people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29“45Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30and you 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 46are 47sons of those who murdered the prophets. 3248Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. 33You snakes, 49you 50offspring of vipers, how 51will you escape the 52sentence of 5354hell?

34“55Therefore, behold, 56I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will 57flog in your synagogues, and 58persecute from city to city, 35so that upon you will fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous 59Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the 60son of Berechiah, whom 61you murdered between the 62temple and the altar. 36Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon 63this generation.

37“64Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who 65kills the prophets and stones those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, 66the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38Behold, 67your house is being left to you desolate! 39For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘68Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!’”