Seven woes
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practise what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honour at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the market places and to be called Rabbi by others. 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 father, for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Therefore you will be punished more severely. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. Woe to you, blind guides. You say, If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath. You blind fools. Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath. You blind men. Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You give a tenth of your spices — mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law — justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practised the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides. You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. Woe to you, teachers of the law 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, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets. So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started. You snakes. You brood of vipers. How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been 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 this will come on this generation.
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.
Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:
So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practise what they preach.
All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
For 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.
Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;
But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
they love the place of honour at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;
And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
they love to be greeted with respect in the market places and to be called Rabbi by others.
And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
But you are not to be called Rabbi, for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
And do not call anyone on earth father, for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
The greatest among you will be your servant.
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
But 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.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Therefore you will be punished more severely.
Woe 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.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.
Woe 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.
Woe to you, blind guides. You say, If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.
Woe 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!
You blind fools. Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
You also say, If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.
And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
You blind men. Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it.
And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.
And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You give a tenth of your spices — mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law — justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practised the latter, without neglecting the former.
Woe 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.
You blind guides. You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
Woe 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.
Blind Pharisee. First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.
Woe 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.
In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
And you say, If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.
And 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.
So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started.
Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
You snakes. You brood of vipers. How will you escape being condemned to hell?
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.
Wherefore, 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:
And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been 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.
That 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.
Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.
Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
Lament over Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.
O 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!
Look, your house is left to you desolate.
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
For 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.