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

Then Jesus said to the multitudes and to His disciples,

2 S aying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

The scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.

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

So observe and practice all they tell you; but do not do what they do, for they preach, but do not practice.

4 F or 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.

They tie up heavy loads, hard to bear, and place them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger to help bear them.

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

They do all their works to be seen of men; for they make wide their phylacteries ( small cases enclosing certain Scripture passages, worn during prayer on the left arm and forehead) and make long their fringes.

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

And they take pleasure in and love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues,

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

And to be greeted with honor in the marketplaces and to have people call them rabbi.

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

But you are not to be called rabbi (teacher), for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers.

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

And do not call anyone on earth father, for you have one Father, Who is in heaven.

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

And you must not be called masters (leaders), for you have one Master (Leader), the Christ.

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

He who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

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

Whoever exalts himself '> with haughtiness and empty pride] shall be humbled (brought low), and whoever humbles himself shall be raised to honor.

13 B ut 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.

But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces; for you neither enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who are about to go in to do so.

14 W oe 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, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you swallow up widows’ houses and for a pretense to cover it up make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation and the heavier sentence.

15 W oe 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, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him doubly as much a child of hell (Gehenna) as you are.

16 W oe 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!

Woe to you, blind guides, who say, If anyone swears by the sanctuary of the temple, it is nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the sanctuary, he is a debtor.

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

You blind fools! For which is greater: the gold, or the sanctuary of the temple that has made the gold sacred?

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

You say too, Whoever swears by the altar is not duty bound; but whoever swears by the offering on the altar, his oath is binding.

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

You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar which makes the gift sacred?

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

So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

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

And he who swears by the sanctuary of the temple swears by it and by Him Who dwells in it.

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

And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by Him Who sits upon it.

23 W oe 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.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you give a tenth of your mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected and omitted the weightier (more important) matters of the Law—right and justice and mercy and fidelity. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

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

You blind guides, filtering out a gnat and gulping down a camel!

25 W oe 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.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but within they are full of extortion (prey, spoil, plunder) and grasping self-indulgence.

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

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

27 W oe 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.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you are like tombs that have been whitewashed, which look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything impure.

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

Just so, you also outwardly seem to people to be just and upright but inside you are full of pretense and lawlessness and iniquity.

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

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous,

30 A nd 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.

Saying, If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have aided them in shedding the blood of the prophets.

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

Thus you are testifying against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

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

Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ sins to the brim '> that nothing may be wanting to a full measure].

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

You serpents! You spawn of vipers! How can you escape the penalty to be suffered in hell (Gehenna)?

34 W herefore, 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:

Because of this, take notice: I am sending you prophets and wise men (interpreters and teachers) and scribes (men learned in the Mosaic Law and the Prophets); some of them you will kill, even crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue and persecute from town to town,

35 T hat 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.

So that upon your heads may come all the blood of the righteous ( those who correspond to the divine standard of right) shed on earth, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

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

Truly I declare to you, all these '> evil, calamitous times] will come upon this generation.

37 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!

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, murdering the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a mother fowl gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused!

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

Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate (abandoned and left destitute of God’s help).

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.

For I declare to you, you will not see Me again until you say, Blessed (magnified in worship, adored, and exalted) is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!