Matthew 23 | Strong's Bible

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Chapter 1 Chapter 2

CHAPTER 23

Then

Jesus

spoke

to the

crowds

and

to

His

disciples:

“The

scribes

and

Pharisees

sit

in

Moses’

seat.

So

practice

and

observe

everything

they tell

you.

But

do not

do

what

they

do,

for

they do not practice

what

they preach.

They tie up

heavy,

burdensome

loads

and

lay them

on

men’s

shoulders,

but

they themselves

are not willing

to lift a finger

to move

them.

All

their

deeds

are done

for

men

to see.

They broaden

their

phylacteries

and

lengthen

their

tassels.

They love

the

places of honor

at

banquets,

the

chief seats

in

the

synagogues,

the

greetings

in

the

marketplaces,

and

the title

of ‘Rabbi’

by

which they are addressed.

But

you

are not to be called

‘Rabbi,’

for

you

have

one

Teacher,

and

you

are

all

brothers.

And

do not call anyone

on

earth

your

father,

for

you

have

one

Father,

who is

in heaven.

Nor

are you to be called

instructors,

for

you

have

one

Instructor,

the

Christ.

The

greatest

among you

shall be

your

servant.

For

whoever

exalts

himself

will be humbled,

and

whoever

humbles

himself

will be exalted.

Woe

to you,

scribes

and

Pharisees,

you hypocrites!

You shut

the

kingdom

of

heaven

in men’s faces.

You yourselves

do not enter,

nor

will you let

in

those who

wish to enter.

Woe

to you,

scribes

and

Pharisees,

hypocrites!

For

you devour

the

houses

of widows,

and

as a pretext

are praying

at great length.

Because of

this,

you shall receive

greater

condemnation.

Woe

to you,

scribes

and

Pharisees,

you hypocrites!

You traverse

land

and

sea

to win

a single

convert,

and

when

he becomes one,

you make

him

twice as much

a son

of hell

as you are.

Woe

to you,

blind

guides!

You

say,

‘If anyone

swears

by

the

temple,

it means

nothing;

but

if anyone

swears

by

the

gold

of the

temple,

he is bound by his oath.'

You blind

fools!

Which

is

greater:

the

gold,

or

the

temple

that makes it sacred?

And you say,

‘If anyone

swears

by

the

altar,

it means

nothing;

but

if anyone

swears

by

the

gift

on

it,

he is bound by his oath.’

You blind men!

Which

is greater:

the

gift,

or

the

altar

that makes it sacred?

So then,

he who

swears

by

the

altar

swears

by

it

and

by

everything

on

it.

And

he who

swears

by

the

temple

swears

by

it

and

by

the One

who dwells

in it.

And

he who

swears

by

heaven

swears

by

God’s

throne

and

by

the One

who sits

on

it.

Woe

to you,

scribes

and

Pharisees,

you hypocrites!

You pay tithes of

mint,

dill,

and

cumin,

but

you have disregarded

the

weightier matters

of the

Law:

justice,

mercy,

and

faithfulness.

You should have

practiced

the latter,

without

neglecting

the former.

You blind

guides!

You strain out

a gnat

but

swallow

a camel.

Woe

to you,

scribes

and

Pharisees,

you hypocrites!

You clean

the

outside

of the

cup

and

dish,

but

inside

they are full

of

greed

and

self-indulgence.

Blind

Pharisee!

First

clean

the

inside

of the

cup

and

dish,

so that

the

outside

may become

clean

as well.

Woe

to you,

scribes

and

Pharisees,

you hypocrites!

You are like

whitewashed

tombs,

which

look

beautiful

on the outside,

but

on the inside

are full

of dead men’s

bones

and

every

impurity.

In the same way,

you

appear

to be righteous

on the outside,

but

on the inside

you are

full

of hypocrisy

and

wickedness.

Woe

to you,

scribes

and

Pharisees,

you hypocrites!

You build

tombs

for the

prophets

and

decorate

the

monuments

of the

righteous.

And

you say,

‘If

we had lived

in

the

days

of our

fathers,

we would not have been

partners

with them

in shedding

the

blood

of the

prophets.’

So

you testify

against yourselves

that

you are

the sons

of those

who murdered

the

prophets.

Fill up,

then,

the

measure

of

your

fathers’ sins.

You snakes!

You brood

of vipers!

How

will you escape

the

sentence

of hell?

Because of

this,

I

am sending

you

prophets

and

wise men

and

teachers.

Some of

them

you will kill

and

crucify,

and

others

you will flog

in

your

synagogues

and

persecute

in

town

after

town.

And so

upon

you

will come

all

the righteous

blood

shed

on

earth,

from

the

blood

of

righteous

Abel

to

the

blood

of Zechariah

son

of Berekiah,

whom

you murdered

between

the

temple

and

the

altar.

Truly

I tell

you,

all

these things

will come

upon

this

generation.

O Jerusalem,

Jerusalem,

who

kills

the

prophets

and

stones

those

sent

to

her,

how often

I have longed

to gather

your

children together,

as

a hen

gathers

her

chicks

under

her

wings,

but

you were unwilling!

Look,

your

house

is left

to you

desolate.

For

I tell

you that

you will not see

Me

again

until

you say,

‘Blessed is

He who

comes

in

the name

of the Lord.’”

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