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Matthew 23:3-28

3 so do and observe whatever they tell you ^abut not the works they do. ^bFor they preach, but do not practice. 4 ^cThey tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear ^{▼

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Some manuscripts omit hard to bear} and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 ^eThey do all their deeds ^fto be seen by others. For they make ^gtheir phylacteries broad and ^htheir fringes long, 6 and they ⁱlove the place of honor at feasts and ^jthe best seats in the synagogues 7 and ^kgreetings in ^lthe marketplaces and being called ^mrabbi ^{▼

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Rabbi means my teacher, or my master; also verse 8} by others. 8 ^oBut you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are ^pall brothers. ^{▼

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Or brothers and sisters} 9 ^rAnd call no man your father on earth, for ^syou have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor ^tthe Christ. 11 ^uThe greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 ^vWhoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13 “But woe ^wto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you ^xshut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you ^yneither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. ^{▼

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Some manuscripts add here (or after verse 12) verse 14: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation} 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single ^aaproselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a ^abchild of ^achell ^{▼

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Greek Gehenna; also verse 33} as yourselves.

16 “Woe to ^aeyou ^afblind guides, who say ^ag‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or ^ahthe temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by ^aithe gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or ^ajthe altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by ^akhim who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by ^alheaven swears by ^amthe throne of God and by ^anhim who sits upon it.

23 ^ao“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ^apyou tithe mint and dill and ^aqcumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: ^arjustice and mercy and faithfulness. ^asThese you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing ^ata camel!

25 ^au“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ^avyou clean the outside of ^awthe cup and the plate, but inside they are full of ^axgreed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of ^aythe cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

27 ^az“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like ^bawhitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and ^bball uncleanness. 28 So you also ^bcoutwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of ^bdhypocrisy and lawlessness.