Matthew 23 :: Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Pharisaism Exposed

(Mar 12:38–40; Luk 20:45–47 )

Mat 23:1

Mat 23:1Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples,

Mat 23:2

Mat 23:2"The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat;

Mat 23:3

Mat 23:3so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice.

Mat 23:4

Mat 23:4They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger.

Mat 23:5

Mat 23:5They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,

Mat 23:6

Mat 23:6and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues,

Mat 23:7

Mat 23:7and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by men.

Mat 23:8

Mat 23:8But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brethren.

Mat 23:9

Mat 23:9And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.

Mat 23:10

Mat 23:10Neither be called masters, for you have one master, the Christ.

Mat 23:11

Mat 23:11He who is greatest among you shall be your servant;

Mat 23:12

Mat 23:12whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Eight Woes

Mat 23:13

Mat 23:13"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to go in.

Mat 23:14

Mat 23:14Other ancient authorities here (or after verse 12) verse 14, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows' houses and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation.

Mat 23:15

Mat 23:15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you traverse sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

Mat 23:16

Mat 23:16"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If any one swears by the temple, it is nothing; but if any one swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.'

Mat 23:17

Mat 23:17You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?

Mat 23:18

Mat 23:18And you say, 'If any one swears by the altar, it is nothing; but if any one swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.'

Mat 23:19

Mat 23:19You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?

Mat 23:20

Mat 23:20So he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it;

Mat 23:21

Mat 23:21and he who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it;

Mat 23:22

Mat 23:22and he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

Mat 23:23

Mat 23:23"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.

Mat 23:24

Mat 23:24You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

Mat 23:25

Mat 23:25"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity.

Mat 23:26

Mat 23:26You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

Mat 23:27

Mat 23:27"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.

Mat 23:28

Mat 23:28So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Mat 23:29

Mat 23:29"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,

Mat 23:30

Mat 23:30saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'

Mat 23:31

Mat 23:31Thus you witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

Mat 23:32

Mat 23:32Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.

Mat 23:33

Mat 23:33You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?

Mat 23:34

Mat 23:34Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,

Mat 23:35

Mat 23:35that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechari'ah the son of Barachi'ah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

Mat 23:36

Mat 23:36Truly, I say to you, all this will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

(Luk 13:34, 35 )

Mat 23:37

Mat 23:37"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!

Mat 23:38

Mat 23:38Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate.

Mat 23:39

Mat 23:39For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

RSV Footnotes

(23:14)

Other ancient authorities here (or after verse 12) verse 14, [Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you devour widows' houses and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation.]

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Source: Transcribed from: The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version containing the Old and New Testaments, translated from the original tongues: being the version set forth A.D. 1611, revised A.D. 1881-1885 and A.D. 1901: compared with the most ancient authorities and revised A.D. 1946-52. — 2nd ed. of New Testament A.D. 1971. There should be enough in the rest of the description to identify the text.

Language: English

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Matthew 23 :: Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Pharisaism Exposed

Eight Woes

Lament over Jerusalem

RSV Footnotes

Pericope