1 T hen spake Jesus to the multitudes and to his disciples,

Then Jesus talked to the many people and to His followers.

2 s aying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses seat:

He said, “The teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers have put themselves in Moses’ place as teachers.

3 a ll things therefore whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not.

Do what they tell you to do and keep on doing it. But do not follow what they do. They preach but do not obey their own preaching.

4 Y ea, they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger.

They make heavy loads and put them on the shoulders of men. But they will not help lift them with a finger.

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

Everything they do, they do to be seen of men. They have words from the Holy Writings written in large letters on their left arm and forehead and they make wide trimming for their clothes.

6 a nd love the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

They like to have the important places at big suppers and the best seats in the Jewish places of worship.

7 a nd the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called of men, Rabbi.

They like to have people show respect to them as they stand in the center of town where people gather. They like to be called teacher.

8 B ut be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your teacher, and all ye are brethren.

“But you are not to be called teacher. There is only one Teacher, and all of you are brothers.

9 A nd call no man your father on the earth: for one is your Father, even he who is in heaven.

Do not call any man here on earth your father. There is only one Father and He is in heaven.

10 N either be ye called masters: for one is your master, even the Christ.

You are not to be called leader. There is only one Leader and He is Christ.

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

“He who is greatest among you will be the one to care for you.

12 A nd whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.

The person who thinks he is important will find out how little he is worth. The person who is not trying to honor himself will be made important. Jesus Speaks Sharp Words to the Proud Religious Law-Keepers

13 B ut woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye enter not in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to enter.

“It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You keep men from going into the holy nation of heaven. You are not going in yourselves, and you do not allow those to go in who are about to go in.

14 W oe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, even while for a pretence ye make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive greater condemnation.

It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! (You take houses from poor women whose husbands have died. Then you try to cover it up by making long prayers. You will be punished all the more because of this.)

15 W oe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is become so, ye make him twofold more a son of hell than yourselves.

It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You go over land and sea to win one follower. When you have him, you make him twice as much a child of hell as you are.

16 W oe unto you, ye blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor.

“It is bad for you, blind leaders! You say, ‘Whoever makes a promise by the house of God, his promise is worth nothing. But whoever makes a promise by the gold of the house of God, then his promise has to be kept.’

17 Y e fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold?

You fools and blind men! Which is greater, the gold or the house of God that makes the gold holy?

18 A nd, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor.

You say, ‘Whoever will promise by the altar, his promise does not have to be kept. But whoever makes a promise by the gift on the altar, then his promise has to be kept.’

19 Y e blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

You fools and blind men! Which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift holy?

20 H e therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

Whoever makes a promise by the altar, promises by it and by everything on it.

21 A nd he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

Whoever makes a promise by the house of God, promises by it and by Him Who is in it.

22 A nd he that sweareth by the heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

Whoever makes a promise by heaven, promises by the throne of God and by Him Who sits there.

23 W oe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone.

“It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You give one-tenth part of your spices, and have not done the most important things of the Law, such as thinking what is right and wrong, and having pity and faith. These you should have done and still have done the other things also.

24 Y e blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel!

You blind leaders, you take a small bug out of your cup but you swallow a camel!

25 W oe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full from extortion and excess.

“It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You clean the outside of the cup and plate, but leave the inside full of strong bad desires and are not able to keep from doing sinful things.

26 T hou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean also.

You blind proud religious law-keepers! Clean the inside of the cup and plate, then the outside will be clean also.

27 W oe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

“It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You are like graves that have been made white and look beautiful on the outside. But inside you are full of the bones of dead men and of every sinful thing.

28 E ven so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

As men look at you, you seem to be good and right but inside you are full of sin. You pretend to be someone you are not.

29 W oe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous,

“It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You make buildings for the graves of the early preachers, and you make the graves beautiful of those who are right with God.

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

You say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our early fathers, we would not have helped kill the early preachers.’

31 W herefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets.

In this way, you are showing that you are the sons of those who killed the early preachers.

32 F ill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

You might as well finish what your early fathers did.

33 Y e serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell?

You snakes! You family of snakes! How can you be kept from hell?

34 T herefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them shall ye kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city:

“Because of this, I am going to keep on sending to you men who speak for God and wise men and teachers of the Law. Some of them you will kill and nail to a cross. Some of them you will beat in your places of worship. You will make it very hard for them as they go from city to city.

35 t hat upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the altar.

Because of this, you will be guilty of the blood of all those right with God on the earth. It will be from the blood of Abel who was right with God to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachias. He was the one you killed between the house of God and the altar.

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

For sure, I tell you, all these things will come on the people of this day. Jesus Sorrows Over Jerusalem

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

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the men who speak for God and throw stones at those who were sent to you. How many times I wanted to gather your children around Me, as a chicken gathers her young ones under her wings. But you would not let Me.

38 B ehold, your house is left unto you desolate.

See! Your house is empty.

39 F or 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.

I say to you, you will not see Me again until you will say, ‘Great is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!’”