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

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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.

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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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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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

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 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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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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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 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 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 “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, 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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12 In you are people who accept bribes(A) to shed blood; you take interest(B) and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors.(C) And you have forgotten(D) me, declares the Sovereign Lord.(E)

13 “‘I will surely strike my hands(F) together at the unjust gain(G) you have made and at the blood(H) you have shed in your midst.(I)

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11 They are dogs with mighty appetites;
    they never have enough.
They are shepherds(A) who lack understanding;(B)
    they all turn to their own way,(C)
    they seek their own gain.(D)

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