Matthew 23

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Then addressing the crowds and his disciples Jesus said,	1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds, and to his disciples,
2 'The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses.	2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have sat down in the chair of Moses.
3 You must therefore do and observe what they tell you; but do not be guided by what they do, sincethey do not practise what they preach.	3 Therefore, all things whatsoever that they shall say to you, observe and do. Yet truly, do not choose to act according to their works. For they say, but they do not do.
4 They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people's shoulders, but wil they lift a finger to move them?Not they!	4 For they bind up heavy and unbearable burdens, and they impose them on men’s shoulders. But they are not willing to move them with even a finger of their own.
5 Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader headbands and longer tassels,	5 Truly, they do all their works so that they may be seen by men. For they enlarge their phylacteries and glorify their hems.
6 like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues,	6 And they love the first places at feasts, and the first chairs in the synagogues,
7 being greeted respectful y in the market squares and having people cal them Rabbi.	7 and greetings in the marketplace, and to be called Master by men.
8 'You, however, must not al ow yourselves to be cal ed Rabbi, since you have only one Master, and youare al brothers.	8 But you must not be called Master. For One is your Master, and you are all brothers.
9 You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven.	9 And do not choose to call anyone on earth your father. For One is your Father, who is in heaven.
10 Nor must you al ow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ.	10 Neither should you be called teachers. For One is your Teacher, the Christ.
11 The greatest among you must be your servant.	11 Whoever is greater among you shall be your minister.
12 Anyone who raises himself up wil be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself wil be raised up.	12 But whoever has exalted himself, shall be humbled. And whoever has humbled himself, shall be exalted.
13 'Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut up the kingdom of Heaven in people'sfaces, neither going in yourselves nor al owing others to go who want to.	13 So then: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you close the kingdom of heaven before men. For you yourselves do not enter, and those who are entering, you would not permit to enter.
14	14 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you consume the houses of widows, praying long prayers. Because of this, you shall receive the greater judgment.
15 'Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over sea and land to make a singleproselyte, and anyone who becomes one you make twice as fit for hel as you are.	15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and by land, in order to make one convert. And when he has been converted, you make him twice the son of Hell that you are yourselves.
16 'Alas for you, blind guides! You say, "If anyone swears by the Temple, it has no force; but anyonewho swears by the gold of the Temple is bound."	16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say: ‘Whoever will have sworn by the temple, it is nothing. But whoever will have sworn by the gold of the temple is obligated.’
17 Fools and blind! For which is of greater value, the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred?	17 You are foolish and blind! For which is greater: the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18 Again, "If anyone swears by the altar it has no force; but anyone who swears by the offering on thealtar, is bound."	18 And you say: ‘Whoever will have sworn by the altar, it is nothing. But whoever will have sworn by the gift that is on the altar is obligated.’
19 You blind men! For which is of greater worth, the offering or the altar that makes the offering sacred?	19 How blind you are! For which is greater: the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20 Therefore, someone who swears by the altar is swearing by that and by everything on it.	20 Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears by it, and by all that is on it.
21 And someone who swears by the Temple is swearing by that and by the One who dwel s in it.	21 And whoever will have sworn by the temple, swears by it, and by him who dwells in it.
22 And someone who swears by heaven is swearing by the throne of God and by the One who is seatedthere.	22 And whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits upon it.
23 'Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay your tithe of mint and dill and cumminand have neglected the weightier matters of the Law-justice, mercy, good faith! These you should havepractised, those not neglected.	23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you collect tithes on mint and dill and cumin, but you have abandoned the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, while not omitting the others.
24 You blind guides, straining out gnats and swal owing camels!	24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat, while swallowing a camel!
25 'Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of cup and dish and leavethe inside full of extortion and intemperance.	25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you clean what is outside the cup and the dish, but on the inside you are full of avarice and impurity.
26 Blind Pharisee! Clean the inside of cup and dish first so that it and the outside are both clean.	26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish, and then what is outside becomes clean.
27 'Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that lookhandsome on the outside, but inside are ful of the bones of the dead and every kind of corruption.	27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed sepulchers, which outwardly appear brilliant to men, yet truly, inside, they are filled with the bones of the dead and with all filth.
28 In just the same way, from the outside you look upright, but inside you are ful of hypocrisy andlawlessness.	28 So also, you certainly appear to men outwardly to be just. But inwardly you are filled with hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 'Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build the sepulchres of the prophets anddecorate the tombs of the upright,	29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites, who build the sepulchers of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the just.
30 saying, "We would never have joined in shedding the blood of the prophets, had we lived in ourancestors' day."	30 And then you say, ‘If we had been there in the days of our fathers, we would not have joined with them in the blood of the prophets.’
31 So! Your own evidence tells against you! You are the children of those who murdered the prophets!	31 And so you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of those who killed the prophets.
32 Very well then, finish off the work that your ancestors began.	32 Complete, then, the measure of your fathers.
33 'You serpents, brood of vipers, how can you escape being condemned to hell?	33 You serpents, you brood of vipers! How will you escape from the judgment of Hell?
34 This is why -- look -- I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some you will slaughterand crucify, some you wil scourge in your synagogues and hunt from town to town;	34 For this reason, behold, I send to you prophets and wisemen, and scribes. And some of these you will put to death and crucify; and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,
35 and so you wil draw down on yourselves the blood of every upright person that has been shed onearth, from the blood of Abel the holy to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah whom you murdered betweenthe sanctuary and the altar.	35 so that upon you may fall all the blood of the just, which has been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.
36 In truth I tel you, it wil al recoil on this generation.	36 Amen I say to you, all these things shall fall upon this generation.
37 'Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How oftenhave I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you refused!	37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone those who have been sent to you. How often I have wanted to gather your children together, in the way that a hen gathers her young under her wings. But you were not willing!
38 Look! Your house wil be deserted,	38 Behold, your house shall be abandoned to you, having been deserted.
39 for, I promise, you shal not see me any more until you are saying: Blessed is he who is coming in thename of the Lord!'	39 For I say to you, you shall not see me again, until you say: ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”