International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Then Jesus told the crowds and his disciples,

1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,

2"The scribes and the Pharisees administer the authority of Moses,

2saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;

3So do whatever they tell you and follow it, but stop doing what they do, because they don't do what they say.

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.

4They tie up burdens that are heavy and unbearable and lay them on people's shoulders, but they refuse to lift a finger to remove them.

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.

5"They do everything to be seen by people. They increase the size of their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels 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 to have the places of honor at festivals, the best seats in the synagogues,

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

7to be greeted in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi' by people.

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

8"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' because you have only one teacher, and all of you are brothers.

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

9And don't call anyone on earth 'Father,' because you have only one Father, the one in heaven.

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

10Nor are you to be called 'Teachers,' because you have only one teacher, the Messiah!

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

11The person who is greatest among you must be your servant.

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

12Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

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

13"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door to the kingdom from heaven in people's faces. You don't go in yourselves, and you don't allow those who are trying to enter 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.

14"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows' houses and say long prayers to cover it up. 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"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make a single convert, and when this happens you make him twice as fit for hell as you are.

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"How terrible it will be for you, blind guides! You say, 'Whoever swears an oath by the sanctuary is excused, but whoever swears an oath by the gold of the sanctuary must keep his oath.'

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.'

17You blind fools! What is more important, the gold or the sanctuary that made the gold holy?

17"You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?

18Again you say, 'Whoever swears an oath by the altar is excused, but whoever swears by the gift that is on it must keep his oath.'

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

19You blind men! Which is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy?

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

20Therefore, the one who swears an oath by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

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

21The one who swears an oath by the sanctuary swears by it and by the one who lives there.

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

22And the one who swears an oath by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one 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"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your mint, dill, and cummin, but have neglected the more important matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the things you should have practiced, without neglecting the others.

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.

24You blind guides! You filter out a gnat, yet swallow a camel!

24"You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

25"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but on the inside they are full of greed 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.

26You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that its outside may also be clean.

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"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead people's bones and every kind of impurity.

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.

28In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, 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"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate 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,

30Then you say, 'If we had been living in the days of our ancestors, we would have had no part with them in shedding 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.'

31Therefore, you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

31"So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

32Then finish what your ancestors started!

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

33You snakes, you children of serpents! How can you escape being condemned to hell?

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

34"That is why I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will whip in your synagogues and persecute from town to town.

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,

35As a result, you will be held accountable for all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Berechiah's son Zechariah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary 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.

36I tell all of you with certainty, all these things will happen to those living today."

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

37"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones to death those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

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.

38Look! Your house is left abandoned!

38"Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!

39I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'How blessed is the one 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: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

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