Matthew 23:13-36
English Standard Version
13 “But woe (A)to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you (B)shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you (C)neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.[a] 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single (D)proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a (E)child of (F)hell[b] as yourselves.
16 “Woe to (G)you, (H)blind guides, who say, (I)‘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 (J)the 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 (K)the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or (L)the 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 (M)him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by (N)heaven swears by (O)the throne of God and by (P)him who sits upon it.
23 (Q)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For (R)you tithe mint and dill and (S)cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: (T)justice and mercy and faithfulness. (U)These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing (V)a camel!
25 (W)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For (X)you clean the outside of (Y)the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of (Z)greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of (AA)the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
27 (AB)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like (AC)whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and (AD)all uncleanness. 28 So you also (AE)outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of (AF)hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 (AG)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘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.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are (AH)sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 (AI)Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, (AJ)you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to (AK)hell? 34 (AL)Therefore (AM)I send you (AN)prophets and wise men and (AO)scribes, (AP)some of whom you will kill and crucify, and (AQ)some you will (AR)flog in your synagogues and (AS)persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all (AT)the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous (AU)Abel to the blood of (AV)Zechariah the son of Barachiah,[c] whom you murdered between (AW)the sanctuary and (AX)the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, (AY)all these things will come upon this generation.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Matthew 23:13 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
- Matthew 23:15 Greek Gehenna; also verse 33
- Matthew 23:35 Some manuscripts omit the son of Barachiah
Matthew 23:13-36
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in you stop them.[a](A) 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell[b] as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides who say, ‘Whoever swears by the sanctuary is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by the oath.’(B) 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that has made the gold sacred?(C) 18 And you say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on the altar is bound by the oath.’ 19 How blind you are! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?(D) 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it, 21 and whoever swears by the sanctuary swears by it and by the one who dwells in it, 22 and whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it.(E)
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others.(F) 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and of the plate,[c] so that the outside also may become clean.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of uncleanness. 28 So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, 30 and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors. 33 You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape the judgment of hell?[d] 34 For this reason I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, 35 so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 23.13 Other authorities add 23.14 here (or after 23.12): Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for the sake of appearance you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation
- 23.15 Gk Gehenna
- 23.26 Other ancient authorities lack and of the plate
- 23.33 Gk Gehenna
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.