M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Christ cries woe over the Pharisees, scribes, and hypocrites, and prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem.
23 Then Jesus spoke to the people and to his disciples, 2 saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 All therefore that they bid you to observe, that observe and do. But do not follow their works. For they say, but do not do. 4 Yea and they bind up heavy burdens, grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to carry them themselves.
5 All their works they do to be seen by men. They enlarge their phylacteries, and make large borders on their garments. 6 They love to sit uppermost at feasts, and to have the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and greetings in the markets, and to be called Rabbi by men.
8 But you shall not suffer yourselves to be called Rabbi. For one is your Master, that is, Christ, and you are all brethren. 9 And call no man upon the earth your father, for there is but one your Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Do not be called teachers, for there is but one your Teacher, and he is Christ. 11 He who is greatest among you will be your servant. 12 But whosoever exalts himself, shall be brought low. And he who humbles himself, shall be exalted.
13 Woe is to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven before men. You yourselves go not in, neither do you suffer those who come to enter in.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows’ houses, and that under a colour of praying long prayers, for which you shall receive the greater damnation.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who compass land and sea to bring one person into your belief. And when he is brought in, you make him twofold more the child of hell than you yourselves are.
16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say that if someone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but whosoever swears by the gold of the temple, he offends. 17 O fools, and blind! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18 And whosoever swears by the altar, it is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering that lies on the altar, offends – 19 Ye fools, and blind! Which is greater: the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? 20 Whoever therefore swears by the altar, swears by it and by all that is on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who dwells therein. 22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the seat of God and by him who sits upon it.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who tithe mint, anise, and cummin, and leave the weightier matters of the law undone: judgment, mercy, and faith. These you ought to have done, and not to have left the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of greed and excess. 26 You blind Pharisee: cleanse first the inside of the cup and platter, so that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like painted tombs, which appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead bones and of all uncleanness. 28 This is how you are, for outwardly you appear righteous to men, when within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets, and adorn the sepulchres of the righteous, 30 and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 So then, you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the children of those who killed the prophets! 32 Fill up then likewise the cup of your fathers. 33 Serpents and offspring of vipers, how can you escape the judgment of hell?
34 And so behold: I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 so that upon you may come all the righteous blood that was shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you slew between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills prophets, and stones those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together, as the hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you would not. 38 Behold, your habitation shall be left to you desolate. 39 For I say to you, you will not see me henceforth until you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Paul comes before the council. Debate arises among the people. The high captain delivers him. God comforts him.
23 Paul beheld the council and said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. 2 Then the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by to strike him on the mouth.
3 Then Paul said to him, God smite you, you painted wall! Do you sit and judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?
4 And those who stood by said, Do you revile God’s high priest?
5 Then Paul said, I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest. For it is written: You shall not curse the ruler of your people.
6 When Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is concerning the hope and resurrection from death that I am on trial.
7 And when he had said this, there arose a quarrel between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and also no angels or spirits. But the Pharisees grant both. 9 And there arose a great cry, and the scribes who were of the Pharisees’ party arose and protested, saying, We find no evil in this man. And if a spirit or an angel has appeared to him, let us not strive against God.
10 And when great controversy arose, the captain, fearing lest Paul should be pulled apart by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him from among them, and to bring him into the castle. 11 The night following, the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul. For as you have testified of me in Jerusalem, so must you bear witness at Rome.
12 When day came, certain of the Jews gathered themselves together and made a vow, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 There were about forty who conspired this together. 14 And they went to the chief priests and elders and said, We have bound ourselves with a vow that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. 15 Now therefore, petition the high captain and the council to bring him forth to us tomorrow, as though we want to better understand something concerning him. But we, before he comes near, are ready meanwhile to kill him.
16 When the son of Paul’s sister heard of their plan to lie in wait, he went and entered into the castle and told Paul. 17 And Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, Bring this young man to the high captain, because he has a certain thing to tell him. 18 And he brought him and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him, and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has a certain matter to tell you of.
19 The high captain took him by the hand and went apart with him privately, and asked him, What have you to say to me? 20 And he said, The Jews have resolved to ask you to bring forth Paul tomorrow into the council, as though they want to make further enquiries of him. 21 But do not go along with them, because there will be more than forty men lying in wait for him, who have bound themselves with a vow that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready and waiting for your word.
22 The high captain let the young man depart, and instructed him, See you tell no one that you have told these things to me. 23 And he called to him two centurions, saying, Make ready 200 soldiers to go to Caesarea, and 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen, at the third hour of the night. 24 And provide horses to put Paul on, and bring him safe to Felix, the governor. 25 And he wrote a letter in this manner:
26 Claudius Lysias to the most noble Governor Felix, sends greetings. 27 This man was taken by the Jews, and was near to being killed by them. Then I came with soldiers and rescued him, and learned that he was a Roman. 28 And when I wished to know the offence for which they accused him, I brought him forth into their council. 29 There I could see that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but was not guilty of anything worthy of death or of bonds. 30 Afterward, when it was reported to me that the Jews were lying in wait for the man, I sent him straightaway to you, and directed his accusers, if they had anything against him, to tell it to you. Farewell.
31 Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 The next day they left horsemen to go with him and returned to the castle.
33 When the horsemen got to Caesarea, they delivered the epistle to the governor and presented Paul before him. 34 When the governor had read the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said, 35 I will hear you when your accusers have come also.
And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s palace.
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.