Matthew 23 - Amplified Bible(AMP)

Pharisaism Exposed

1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,

2saying: “The scribes and Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses’ chair;

3so practice and observe everything they tell you, but do not do as they do; for they preach,but do not practice them.

4The scribes and Pharisees tie up

heavy loads and place them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger.

5They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their

phylacteries (tefillin) wideand make their

tassels long.

6They love the place of distinction and honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues,

7and to be greetedin the market places and public forums, and to have people call them Rabbi.

8But do not be called Rabbi (Teacher); for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.

9Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.

10Do not let yourselves be called leaders or teachers; for One is your Leader (Teacher), the Christ.

11But the greatest among you will be your servant.

12Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be raised to honor.

Eight Woes

13 “But woe (judgment is coming) to you, 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 entering to do so.

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.]

15 “Woe to you, 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.

16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swearsby the sanctuary of the temple, that is nothing (non-binding); but whoever swearsby the gold of the temple is obligated.’

17You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the sanctuary of the temple that sanctified the gold?

18And, ‘Whoever swearsby the altar, that is nothing (non-binding), but whoever swearsby the offering on it, he is obligated.’

19Youblind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering?

20Therefore, whoever swearsby the altar, swears both by it and by everything on it.

21And whoever swearsby the sanctuary of the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells within it.

22And whoever swearsby heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you give a tenth (tithe) of your mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you ought to have done without neglecting the others.

24You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

25 “Woe to you, 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).

26Youblind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside may be clean also.

27 “Woe to you, 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.

28So you, also, outwardly seem to be just and upright to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “Woe to you,scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets and decorate and adorn the monuments of the righteous,

30and 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.’

31So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

32Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers’ sins.

33You

serpents, you spawn of vipers, how can you escape the penalty of hell?

34 “Therefore, take notice, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; 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,

35so 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 son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

36I assure you and most solemnly say to you, all these things will come on this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

37 “ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who murders the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

38Listen carefully: your house is being left to you desolate!

39For I say to you, you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed

is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”