21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

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21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?(A)

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All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

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.

But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

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.

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.

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.

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!

17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.

19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

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.

24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

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.

26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

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.

28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

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So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.(A)

“Everything they do is done for people to see:(B) They make their phylacteries[a](C) wide and the tassels on their garments(D) long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;(E) they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.(F)

“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father,(G) and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant.(H) 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.(I)

Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!(J) You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.(K) [14] [b]

15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert,(L) and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell(M) as you are.

16 “Woe to you, blind guides!(N) You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’(O) 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?(P) 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?(Q) 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells(R) in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.(S)

23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth(T) of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.(U) You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides!(V) You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish,(W) but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.(X) 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,(Y) which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 23:5 That is, boxes containing Scripture verses, worn on forehead and arm
  2. Matthew 23:14 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47.

27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

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27 No, I strike a blow to my body(A) and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.(B)

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47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

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47 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.(A)

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11 The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us.

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11 Her leaders judge for a bribe,(A)
    her priests teach for a price,(B)
    and her prophets tell fortunes for money.(C)
Yet they look(D) for the Lord’s support and say,
    “Is not the Lord among us?
    No disaster will come upon us.”(E)

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16 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?

17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, and casteth my words behind thee.

18 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.

19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.

20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son.

21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

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16 But to the wicked person, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws
    or take my covenant(A) on your lips?(B)
17 You hate(C) my instruction
    and cast my words behind(D) you.
18 When you see a thief, you join(E) with him;
    you throw in your lot with adulterers.(F)
19 You use your mouth for evil
    and harness your tongue to deceit.(G)
20 You sit and testify against your brother(H)
    and slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things and I kept silent,(I)
    you thought I was exactly[a] like you.
But I now arraign(J) you
    and set my accusations(K) before you.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 50:21 Or thought the ‘I am’ was

But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,

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Doing Good for the Sake of the Gospel

You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.(A) Teach the older men(B) to be temperate,(C) worthy of respect, self-controlled,(D) and sound in faith,(E) in love and in endurance.

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers(F) or addicted to much wine,(G) but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women(H) to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled(I) and pure, to be busy at home,(J) to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands,(K) so that no one will malign the word of God.(L)

Similarly, encourage the young men(M) to be self-controlled.(N) In everything set them an example(O) by doing what is good.(P) In your teaching show integrity, seriousness

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13 For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

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13 Not even those who are circumcised keep the law,(A) yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh.(B)

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22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

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22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words,(A) you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow?(B)

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46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

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46 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.(A)

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23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

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23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown(A) what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”(B)

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13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

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13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’[a](A) but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’[b](B)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 21:13 Isaiah 56:7
  2. Matthew 21:13 Jer. 7:11

Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,

Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?

That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat?

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Hear this, you who trample the needy
    and do away with the poor(A) of the land,(B)

saying,

“When will the New Moon(C) be over
    that we may sell grain,
and the Sabbath be ended
    that we may market(D) wheat?”(E)
skimping on the measure,
    boosting the price
    and cheating(F) with dishonest scales,(G)
buying the poor(H) with silver
    and the needy for a pair of sandals,
    selling even the sweepings with the wheat.(I)

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