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23:1-38 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples saying “ On the seat of Moses sat the
scribes and the Pharisees.
Everything therefore they may tell you, do it and keep it. But do not follow their example. For they say one thing and do not do it
themselves. They bind heavy burdens
and put them on the shoulders of people.
They are not willing to move these things with their finger. But all their works that they do, are to
be seen by others. They broaden
their phylacteries and enlarge the
fringes on their clothes.
They like the chief place at suppers and the chief seats in the
synagogues. And in the marketplaces
they like to be called “rabbi”. But
as for you, do not be called “rabbi”.
For you have one teacher (only) and you are all brothers. And do not call somebody Father for you
have the one Heavenly Father.
Neither be called leaders because there is one leader of you which
is the Christ. The greater amongst
you shall be your servant. Whoever
exalts himself shall be humbled and the one who humbles himself shall be
exalted.
Woe
to you, scribes and Pharisees.
Hypocrites. You shut the
kingdom of the heavens before people.
You do not enter it nor do you allow others to enter it. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees.
Hypocrites. You go about the sea and
the land to make one proselyte. And
when he becomes a convert you make him a son of gehenna twice more so than
what you are yourselves. Woe to you
leaders of the blind. You say
swearing by the shrine means nothing but those who swear by the gold of the
shrine are bound by their oath.
Fools and blind people. Which
is greater, the gold or the shrine (Temple)
which makes the gold sacred. (You
say) swearing by the altar means nothing but whoever swears by the gift
upon the altar is bound by his oath.
Blind people. Which is
greater, the gift or the altar which makes the gift sacred? Therefore whoever swears by the altar
swears by it and everything upon it.
The one swearing by the shrine (Temple) swears by it and those who
inhabit it. The one swearing by
heaven swears by the throne of God and by the one who sits
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Upon
this. Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees. Hypocrites. Because you tithe the mint and the dill
and the cummin you have neglected the weightier things of the law such as
judgment and mercy and faith. It has
behoved you to enact these things while not ignoring the others. Blind leaders. You are the ones straining at the gnat
but swallowing the camel. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites. You clean the outside of the cup and the
dish. But within these full of
robbery and intemperance. Blind
Pharisees. First cleanse the inside
of the cup that the outside of it may be clean. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites. You resemble graves that have been
whitewashed. Outwardly these may
indeed appear beautiful but within they are full of the bones of dead
people and all uncleannesses. Thus
also you appear outwardly to others as being righteous. But within you are full of hypocrisy and
lawlessness. Woe to you scribes and
Pharisees. Hypocrites. You build the graves of the prophets and
adorn the monuments of the righteous and you say. “If we lived in the days of our fathers
we would not have partaken in the blood of the prophets. So you witness to yourselves that you are
the sons of those who have killed the prophets. And you fulfil the measure of your
fathers. Serpents, offspring of
vipers. How will you escape from the
judgement of gehenna? Therefore
behold I send prophets and wise men and scribes to you. You will kill and crucify them. You will scourge them in your synagogues
and will persecute them from city to city.
Therefore what falls on you is all the blood of the righteous being
shed on the earth going back to the blood of Abel the righteous until the
blood of Zacharias son of Barachias whom you murdered between the shrine
and the altar. Truly I tell you all
these things will come on this generation.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one killing the prophets
and stoning those who have been sent to her. How often I have wished to gather your
children as a bird gathers her young under her wings and yet you did not
want this. Behold what is left of
your house to you? I tell you by no
means will you see me from now until you say “Blessed the one coming in the name of the Lord”
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