King James Bible

International Standard Version

1Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

1Then Jesus told the crowds and his disciples,

2Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

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

3All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

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

4For 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.

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.

5But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

5"They do everything to be seen by people. They increase the size of their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments.

6And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

6They love to have the places of honor at festivals, the best seats in the synagogues,

7And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

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

8But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

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

9And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

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

10Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

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

11But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

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

12And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

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

13But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

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.

14Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

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!

15Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

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.

16Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

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.'

17Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

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

18And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.

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.'

19Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

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

20Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

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

21And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

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

22And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

22And the one who swears an oath by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.

23Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise 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.

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.

24Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

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

25Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

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.

26Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

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

27Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

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.

28Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

28In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

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.

30And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

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.'

31Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

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

32Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

32Then finish what your ancestors started!

33Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

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

34Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: 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:

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.

35That upon 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.

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.

36Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

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

37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

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!

38Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

38Look! Your house is left abandoned!

39For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

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!'"

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.