Matthew 23

Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees

1Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2saying: #Deut. 33:3; Ezra 7:6, 25; Neh. 8:4, 8; (Mal. 2:7); Mark 12:38; Luke 20:45“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for #(Rom. 2:19)they say, and do not do. 4#(Matt. 11:29, 30); Luke 11:46; Acts 15:10; Rom. 2:17–24; (Gal. 5:1; 6:13; Col. 2:16, 17)For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5But all their works they do to #(Matt. 6:1–6, 16–18)be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6#Mark 12:38, 39; Luke 11:43; 20:46; 3 John 9They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ 8#(2 Cor. 1:24; James 3:1; 1 Pet. 5:3)But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9Do not call anyone on earth your father; #(Mal. 1:6); Matt. 5:16, 48; 6:1, 9, 14, 26, 32; 7:11for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11But #Matt. 20:26, 27he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12#Job 22:29; Prov. 15:33; 29:23; Luke 14:11; 18:14; James 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

13“But #Luke 11:52woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! #Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47; (2 Tim. 3:6; Titus 1:10, 11)For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

15“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

16“Woe to you, #Matt. 15:14; 23:24blind guides, who say, #(Matt. 5:33, 34)‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ 17Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold #Ex. 30:29or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ 19Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift #Ex. 29:37or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by #1 Kin. 8:13; 2 Chr. 6:2; Ps. 26:8; 132:14Him who dwells in it. 22And he who swears by heaven, swears by #Ps. 11:4; Is. 66:1; Matt. 5:34; Acts 7:49the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.

23“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! #Matt. 23:13; Luke 11:42; 18:12For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and #(1 Sam. 15:22; Hos. 6:6; Mic. 6:8); Matt. 9:13; 12:7have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

25“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! #Mark 7:4; Luke 11:39For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

27“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! #Luke 11:44; Acts 23:3For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29#Luke 11:47, 48“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’

31“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that #Matt. 23:34, 37; (Acts 7:51, 52); 1 Thess. 2:15you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32#Gen. 15:16; (1 Thess. 2:16)Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33Serpents, #Matt. 3:7; 12:34; Luke 3:7brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 34#Matt. 21:34, 35; Luke 11:49Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: #John 16:2; Acts 7:54–60; 22:19some of them you will kill and crucify, and #Matt. 10:17; Acts 5:40; 2 Cor. 11:24, 25some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35#Rev. 18:24that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, #Gen. 4:8; Heb. 11:4; 1 John 3:12from the blood of righteous Abel to #2 Chr. 24:20, 21the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Jesus Laments over Jerusalem

37#Luke 13:34, 35“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets #2 Chr. 24:20, 21; 36:15, 16; Neh. 9:26; Matt. 21:35, 36and stones those who are sent to her! How often #Deut. 32:11, 12; Matt. 11:28–30I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks #Ps. 17:8; 91:4; Is. 49:5under her wings, but you were not willing! 38See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, #Ps. 118:26; Matt. 21:9‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”

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Matthew 23: NKJV

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