The Darby Translation DBY
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,
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Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
2 saying, The scribes and the Pharisees have set themselves down in Moses' seat:
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"The scribes and the Pharisees teach with Moses' authority.
3 all things therefore, whatever they may tell you, do and keep. But do not after their works, for they say and do not,
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So be careful to do everything they tell you. But don't follow their example, because they don't practice what they preach.
4 but bind burdens heavy and hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of men, but will not move them with their finger
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They make loads that are hard to carry and lay them on the shoulders of the people. However, they are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 And all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders [of their garments],
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"They do everything to attract people's attention. They make their headbands large and the tassels on their shawls long.
6 and love the chief place in feasts and the first seats in the synagogues,
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They love the place of honor at dinners and the front seats in synagogues.
7 and salutations in the market-places, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
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They love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have people call them Rabbi.
8 But *ye*, be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your instructor, and all *ye* are brethren.
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But don't make others call you Rabbi, because you have only one teacher, and you are all followers.
9 And call not [any one] your father upon the earth; for one is your Father, he who is in the heavens.
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And don't call anyone on earth your father, because you have only one Father, and he is in heaven.
10 Neither be called instructors, for one is your instructor, the Christ.
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Don't make others call you a leader, because you have only one leader, the Messiah.
11 But the greatest of you shall be your servant.
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The person who is greatest among you will be your servant.
12 And whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.
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Whoever honors himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be honored.
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men; for *ye* do not enter, nor do ye suffer those that are entering to go in.
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"How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. You don't enter it yourselves, and you don't permit others to enter when they try.
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15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye compass the sea and the dry [land] to make one proselyte, and when he is become [such], ye make him twofold more [the] son of hell than yourselves.
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"How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You cross land and sea to recruit a single follower, and when you do, you make that person twice as fit for hell as you are.
16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor.
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"How horrible it will be for you, you blind guides! You say, 'To swear an oath by the temple doesn't mean a thing. But to swear an oath by the gold in the temple means a person must keep his oath.'
17 Fools and blind, for which is greater, the gold, or the temple which sanctifies the gold?
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You blind fools! What is more important, the gold or the temple that made the gold holy?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor.
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Again you say, 'To swear an oath by the altar doesn't mean a thing. But to swear an oath by the gift on the altar means a person must keep his oath.'
19 [Fools and] blind ones, for which is greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifies the gift
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You blind men! What is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy?
20 He therefore that swears by the altar swears by it and by all things that are upon it.
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To swear an oath by the altar is to swear by it and by everything on it.
21 And he that swears by the temple swears by it and by him that dwells in it
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To swear an oath by the temple is to swear by it and by the one who lives there.
22 And he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him that sits upon it.
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And to swear an oath by heaven is to swear by God's throne and the one who sits on it.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye pay tithes of mint and anise and cummin, and ye have left aside the weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy and faith: these ye ought to have done and not have left those aside.
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"How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You give [God] one-tenth of your mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the most important things in Moses' Teachings. You should have done these things without neglecting the others.
24 Blind guides, who strain out the gnat, but drink down the camel.
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You blind guides! You strain gnats [out of your wine], but you swallow camels.
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within they are full of rapine and intemperance.
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"How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You clean the outside of cups and dishes. But inside they are full of greed and uncontrolled desires.
26 Blind Pharisee, make clean first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that their outside also may become clean.
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You blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cups and dishes so that the outside may also be clean.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like whited sepulchres, which appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
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"How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You are like whitewashed graves that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead people's bones and every kind of impurity.
28 Thus also *ye*, outwardly ye appear righteous to men, but within are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
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So on the outside you look as though you have God's approval, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets and adorn the tombs of the just,
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"How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of those who had God's approval.
30 and ye say, If we had been in the days of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
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Then you say, 'If we had lived at the time of our ancestors, we would not have helped to murder the prophets.'
31 So that ye bear witness of yourselves that ye are sons of those who slew the prophets:
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So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
32 and *ye*, fill ye up the measure of your fathers.
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Go ahead, finish what your ancestors started!
33 Serpents, offspring of vipers, how should ye escape the judgment of hell?
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"You snakes! You poisonous snakes! How can you escape being condemned to hell?
34 Therefore, behold, *I* send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and [some] of them ye will kill and crucify, and [some] of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and will persecute from city to city;
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I'm sending you prophets, wise men, and teachers of the Scriptures. You will kill and crucify some of them. Others you will whip in your synagogues and persecute from city to city.
35 so that all righteous blood shed upon the earth should come upon *you*, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
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As a result, you will be held accountable for all the innocent blood of those murdered on earth, from the murder of righteous Abel to that of Zechariah, son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation
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I can guarantee this truth: The people living now will be held accountable for all these things.
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [the city] that kills the prophets and stones those that are sent unto her, how often would I have gathered thy children as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
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"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill the prophets and stone to death those sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings! But you were not willing!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate
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Your house will be abandoned, deserted.
39 for I say unto you, Ye shall in no wise see me henceforth until ye say, Blessed [be] he that comes in the name of [the] Lord.
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I can guarantee that you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'"
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