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23:1  Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,
23:2  saying: “The scribes and Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses’ chair [of authority as teachers of the Law];
23:3  so practice and observe everything they tell you, but do not do as they do; for they preach [things], but do not practice them.
23:4  The scribes and Pharisees tie up heavy loads [that are hard to bear] and place them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger [to make them lighter].
23:5  They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries (tefillin) wide [to make them more conspicuous] and make their tassels long.
23:6  They love the place of distinction and honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues [those on the platform near the scrolls of the Law, facing the congregation],
23:7  and to be greeted [with respect] in the market places and public forums, and to have people call them Rabbi.
23:8  But do not be called Rabbi (Teacher); for One is your Teacher, and you are all [equally] brothers.
23:9  Do not call anyone on earth [who guides you spiritually] your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
23:10  Do not let yourselves be called leaders or teachers; for One is your Leader (Teacher), the Christ.
23:11  But the greatest among you will be your servant.
23:12  Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be raised to honor.
23:13  “But woe (judgment is coming) to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who are [in the process of] entering to do so.
23:14  [Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you swallow up widows’ houses, and to cover it up you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation.]
23:15  “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte (convert to Judaism), and when he becomes a convert, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
23:16  “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears [an oath] by the sanctuary of the temple, that is nothing (non-binding); but whoever swears [an oath] by the gold of the temple is obligated [as a debtor to fulfill his vow and keep his promise].’
23:17  You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the sanctuary of the temple that sanctified the gold?
23:18  And [you scribes and Pharisees say], ‘Whoever swears [an oath] by the altar, that is nothing (non-binding), but whoever swears [an oath] by the offering on it, he is obligated [as a debtor to fulfill his vow and keep his promise].’
23:19  You [spiritually] blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering?
23:20  Therefore, whoever swears [an oath] by the altar, swears both by it and by everything [offered] on it.
23:21  And whoever swears [an oath] by the sanctuary of the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells within it.
23:22  And whoever swears [an oath] by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
23:23  “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you give a tenth (tithe) of your mint and dill and cumin [focusing on minor matters], and have neglected the weightier [more important moral and spiritual] provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the [primary] things you ought to have done without neglecting the others.
23:24  You [spiritually] blind guides, who strain out a gnat [consuming yourselves with miniscule matters] and swallow a camel [ignoring and violating God’s precepts]!
23:25  “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and robbery and self-indulgence (unrestrained greed).
23:26  You [spiritually] blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate [examine and change your inner self to conform to God’s precepts], so that the outside [your public life and deeds] may be clean also.
23:27  “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.
23:28  So you, also, outwardly seem to be just and upright to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
23:29  “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets and decorate and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
23:30  and you say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
23:31  So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
23:32  Fill up, then, the [allotted] measure of the guilt of your fathers’ sins.
23:33  You serpents, you spawn of vipers, how can you escape the penalty of hell?
23:34  “Therefore, take notice, I am sending you prophets and wise men [interpreters, teachers] and scribes [men educated in the Mosaic Law and the writings of the prophets]; some of them you will kill and even crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues, and pursue and persecute from city to city,
23:35  so that on you will come the guilt of all the blood of the righteous shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah [the priest], the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
23:36  I assure you and most solemnly say to you, [the judgment for] all these things [these vile and murderous deeds] will come on this generation.
23:37  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who murders the prophets and stones [to death] those [messengers] who are sent to her [by God]! How often I wanted to gather your children together [around Me], as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
23:38  Listen carefully: your house is being left to you desolate [completely abandoned by God and destitute of His protection]!
23:39  For I say to you, you will not see Me again [ministering to you publicly] until you say, ‘Blessed [to be celebrated with praise] is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”