Matthew 23:23-24:14

English Standard Version

²³^(A)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ^(B)you tithe mint and dill and ^(C)cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: ^(D)justice and mercy and faithfulness. ^(E)These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. ²⁴You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing ^(F)a camel!

²⁵^(G)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ^(H)you clean the outside of ^(I)the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of ^(J)greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of ^(K)the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

²⁷^(L)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like ^(M)whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and ^(N)all uncleanness. ²⁸So you also ^(O)outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of ^(P)hypocrisy and lawlessness.

²⁹^(Q)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, ³⁰saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹Thus you witness against yourselves that you are ^(R)sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³²^(S)Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. ³³You serpents, ^(T)you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to ^(U)hell? ³⁴^(V)Therefore ^(W)I send you ^(X)prophets and wise men and ^(Y)scribes, ^(Z)some of whom you will kill and crucify, and ^(AA)some you will ^(AB)flog in your synagogues and ^(AC)persecute from town to town, ³⁵so that on you may come all ^(AD)the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous ^(AE)Abel to the blood of ^(AF)Zechariah the son of Barachiah,^[a] whom you murdered between ^(AG)the sanctuary and ^(AH)the altar. ³⁶Truly, I say to you, ^(AI)all these things will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

³⁷^(AJ)“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that ^(AK)kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have ^(AL)gathered ^(AM)your children together ^(AN)as a hen gathers her brood ^(AO)under her wings, and ^(AP)you were not willing! ³⁸See, ^(AQ)your house is left to you desolate. ³⁹For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ^(AR)‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

24 ^(AS)Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. ²But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, ^(AT)there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

³As he sat on ^(AU)the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him ^(AV)privately, saying, “Tell us, ^(AW)when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your ^(AX)coming and of ^(AY)the end of the age?” ⁴And Jesus answered them, ^(AZ)“See that no one leads you astray. ⁵For ^(BA)many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am ^(BB)the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. ⁶And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you ^(BC)are not alarmed, for this ^(BD)must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁷For ^(BE)nation will rise against nation, and ^(BF)kingdom against kingdom, and there will be ^(BG)famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸All these are but the beginning of ^(BH)the birth pains.

⁹“Then ^(BI)they will deliver you up ^(BJ)to tribulation and ^(BK)put you to death, and ^(BL)you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. ¹⁰And then many will fall away^[b] and ^(BM)betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹And many ^(BN)false prophets will arise ^(BO)and lead many astray. ¹²And because lawlessness will be increased, ^(BP)the love of many will grow cold. ¹³^(BQ)But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁴And this gospel of the kingdom ^(BR)will be proclaimed throughout the whole world ^(BS)as a testimony ^(BT)to all nations, and ^(BU)then the end will come.