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### Matthew 23
1 THEN spoke Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, ^1
2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: ^2
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
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
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
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, ^6
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. ^7
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, _even_ Christ; and all ye are brethren. ^8
9 And call no _man_ your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. ^9
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, _even_ Christ. ^10
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. ^11
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. ^12
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
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
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
17 _Ye_ fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? ^17
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever swears by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. ^18
19 _Ye_ fools and blind: for whether _is_ greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? ^19
20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, swears by it, and by all things thereon. ^20
21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, swears by it, and by him that dwells therein. ^21
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him that sits thereon. ^22
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
24 _Ye_ blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. ^24
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
26 _Thou_ blind Pharisee, cleanse first that _which_ _is_ within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. ^26
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
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. ^28
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, ^29
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
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. ^31
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. ^32
33 _Ye_ serpents, _ye_ generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? ^33
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
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
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. ^36
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 gathers her chickens under _her_ wings, and ye would not! [†](Psalm%2091.md#^4) ^37
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. ^38
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed _is_ he that comes in the name of the Lord. ^39