English Standard Version ESV
The Darby Translation DBY
1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
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Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,
2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat,
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saying, The scribes and the Pharisees have set themselves down in Moses' seat:
3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
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all things therefore, whatever they may tell you, do and keep. But do not after their works, for they say and do not,
4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.
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but bind burdens heavy and hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of men, but will not move them with their finger
5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,
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And all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders [of their garments],
6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues
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and love the chief place in feasts and the first seats in the synagogues,
7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.
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and salutations in the market-places, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.
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But *ye*, be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your instructor, and all *ye* are brethren.
9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
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And call not [any one] your father upon the earth; for one is your Father, he who is in the heavens.
10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.
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Neither be called instructors, for one is your instructor, the Christ.
11 The greatest among you shall be your servant.
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But the greatest of you shall be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
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And whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.
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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.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across 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.
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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.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath. ’
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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.
17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred?
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Fools and blind, for which is greater, the gold, or the temple which sanctifies the gold?
18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath. ’
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And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor.
19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
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[Fools and] blind ones, for which is greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifies the gift
20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
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He therefore that swears by the altar swears by it and by all things that are upon it.
21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it.
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And he that swears by the temple swears by it and by him that dwells in it
22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.
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And he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him that sits upon it.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
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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.
24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
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Blind guides, who strain out the gnat, but drink down the camel.
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
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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.
26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
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Blind Pharisee, make clean first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that their outside also may become clean.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.
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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.
28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
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Thus also *ye*, outwardly ye appear righteous to men, but within are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous,
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Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets and adorn the tombs of the just,
30 saying, ‘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. ’
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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.
31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
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So that ye bear witness of yourselves that ye are sons of those who slew the prophets:
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
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and *ye*, fill ye up the measure of your fathers.
33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?
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Serpents, offspring of vipers, how should ye escape the judgment of hell?
34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,
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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;
35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.
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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.
36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
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Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
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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!
38 See, your house is left to you desolate.
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Behold, your house is left unto you desolate
39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. ’”
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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.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.