Matthew 23

Matthew Chapter 23 KJV

1Christ exhorteth to observe the doctrine, but not to follow the evil examples, of the scribes and Pharisees; and particularly not to imitate their ambition: 13he pronounceth various woes against them for their blindness and hypocrisy: 34and prophesieth the destruction of Jerusalem.
1 Then 1spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying, 1The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3 1All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; 2but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
4 1For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5 1But all their works they do for to be seen of men: 2they make broad 3their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 1And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 1But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your 2Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: 1for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
11 1But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 1And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13 ¶ But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for 1ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for 1ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the 2greater damnation.
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye 1compass sea and land to make one 2proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the 3child of hell than yourselves.
16 Woe unto you, ye 1blind guides, which say, 2Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
17 ye 1fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, 2or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is aguilty.
19 ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that 1sanctifieth the gift?
20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by 1him that dwelleth therein.
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by 1him that sitteth thereon.
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! 1for ye pay tithe of mint and aanise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24 ye 1blind guides, which 2strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! 1for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are 1like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of 2all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because 1ye build the tombs of the prophets, and 2garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them 1in the blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore 1ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are 2the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 1Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 ye 1serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
34 ¶ Wherefore, behold, 1I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and 2scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
35 That 1upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, 1All these things shall come upon this generation.
37 1O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, 2how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and 3ye would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, 1Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, 2Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Matthew 23