Then spake Jesus to the multitudes and to his disciples, saying, "The
scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: all things therefore
whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their
works; for they say, and do not. Yea, 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. But all their works they do to be seen of men:
for they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their
garments, and love the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the
synagogues, and the salutations in the market-places, and to be called of
men, 'Rabbi.' But be not ye called 'Rabbi,' for one is your teacher, and
all ye are brethren. And call no man your father on the earth: for one is
your Father, even he who is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for
one is your master, even the Christ. But he that is greatest among you
shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled:
and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.
"But 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.
"Woe 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.
"Woe 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.' Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the
gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold? And, 'Whosoever
shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by
the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor.' Ye blind: for which is
greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? He therefore
that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that
dwelleth therein. And he that sweareth by the heaven, sweareth by the
throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
"Woe 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. Ye blind guides, that strain out the
gnat, and swallow the camel!
"Woe 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. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of
the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean also.
"Woe 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. Even so ye also
outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of
hypocrisy and iniquity.
"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the
sepulchres of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous,
and 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.' Wherefore
ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the
prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye
offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell?
Therefore, 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:
that 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. Verily I
say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
"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! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 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.'"