Matthew 23:31-39

31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are 1sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32 2Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
33 You serpents, 3you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to 4hell?
34 5Therefore 6I send you 7prophets and wise men and 8scribes, 9some of whom you will kill and crucify, and 10some you will 11flog in your synagogues and 12persecute from town to town,
35 so that on you may come all 13the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent 14Abel to the blood of 15Zechariah the son of Barachiah,[a] whom you murdered between 16the sanctuary and 17the altar.
36 Truly, I say to you, 18all these things will come upon this generation.#rl

Lament over Jerusalem

37 19"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that 20kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have 21gathered 22your children together 23as a hen gathers her brood 24under her wings, and 25you would not!
38 See, 26your house is left to you desolate.
39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 27'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

Cross References 27

  • 1. Acts 7:51, 52
  • 2. Genesis 15:16; Daniel 8:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:15, 16
  • 3. Matthew 3:7; Matthew 12:34
  • 4. ver. 15
  • 5. For ver. 34-36, [Luke 11:49-51]
  • 6. Matthew 10:16
  • 7. See Acts 13:1; 1 Corinthians 12:28
  • 8. Matthew 13:52
  • 9. See Matthew 21:35
  • 10. See Matthew 21:35
  • 11. Matthew 10:17; Mark 13:9; Luke 21:12; Acts 22:19; Acts 26:11; [Luke 12:11]
  • 12. Matthew 10:23
  • 13. Revelation 18:24
  • 14. Genesis 4:4, 8; Hebrews 11:4; 1 John 3:12
  • 15. [Zechariah 1:1]
  • 16. See Luke 1:9
  • 17. Exodus 40:6; 2 Kings 16:14; Ezekiel 40:47
  • 18. [Matthew 10:23; Matthew 16:28; Matthew 24:34]
  • 19. For ver. 37-39, see Luke 13:34, 35; [Luke 19:41-44]
  • 20. See Matthew 21:35
  • 21. [Psalms 147:2; Proverbs 1:24]
  • 22. Luke 23:28
  • 23. [Deuteronomy 32:11, 12]
  • 24. Ruth 2:12
  • 25. John 5:40
  • 26. [Isaiah 64:11; Jeremiah 12:7; Jeremiah 22:5]
  • 27. Matthew 21:9; Cited from Psalms 118:26

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Some manuscripts omit the son of Barachiah
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.