Matthew 23

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,	1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,
2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:	2 saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.	3 Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.
4 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.	4 They tie up heavy burdens (hard to carry) and lay them on people's shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them.
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,	5 All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,	6 They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.	7 greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.'
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.	8 As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.' You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.	9 Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.	10 Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Messiah.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.	11 The greatest among you must be your servant.
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.	12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 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.	13 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the kingdom of heaven before human beings. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.
14 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.	14 )
15 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.	15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves.
16 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!	16 "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.'
17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?	17 Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.	18 And you say, 'If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.'
19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?	19 You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.	20 One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;
21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.	21 one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it;
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.	22 one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it.
23 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.	23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. (But) these you should have done, without neglecting the others.
24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.	24 Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!
25 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.	25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.	26 Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.
27 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.	27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and every kind of filth.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.	28 Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,	29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous,
30 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.	30 and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets' blood.'
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.	31 Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets;
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.	32 now fill up what your ancestors measured out!
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?	33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how can you flee from the judgment of Gehenna?
34 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:	34 Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and pursue from town to town,
35 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.	35 so that there may come upon you all the righteous blood shed upon earth, from the righteous blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.	36 Amen, I say to you, all these things 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!	37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you were unwilling!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.	38 Behold, your house will be abandoned, desolate.
39 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.	39 I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"