King James Version KJV
Good News Translation GNT
1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
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Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples.
2 Saying,The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
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"The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees are the authorized interpreters of Moses' Law.
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
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So you must obey and follow everything they tell you to do; do not, however, imitate their actions, because they don't practice what they preach.
4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.#rl
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They tie onto people's backs loads that are heavy and hard to carry, yet they aren't willing even to lift a finger to help them carry those loads
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
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They do everything so that people will see them. Look at the straps with scripture verses on them which they wear on their foreheads and arms, and notice how large they are! Notice also how long are the tassels on their cloaks!
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
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They love the best places at feasts and the reserved seats in the synagogues;
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
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they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have people call them "Teacher.'
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
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You must not be called "Teacher,' because you are all equal and have only one Teacher.
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
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And you must not call anyone here on earth "Father,' because you have only the one Father in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
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Nor should you be called "Leader,' because your one and only leader is the Messiah.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
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The greatest one among you must be your servant.
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
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Whoever makes himself great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be made great.
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
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"How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You lock the door to the Kingdom of heaven in people's faces, but you yourselves don't go in, nor do you allow in those who are trying to enter!
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.#rl
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
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"How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You sail the seas and cross whole countries to win one convert; and when you succeed, you make him twice as deserving of going to hell as you yourselves are!
16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which 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 terrible for you, blind guides! You teach, "If someone swears by the Temple, he isn't bound by his vow; but if he swears by the gold in the Temple, he is bound.'
17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
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Blind fools! Which is more important, the gold or the Temple which makes the gold holy?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
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You also teach, "If someone swears by the altar, he isn't bound by his vow; but if he swears by the gift on the altar, he is bound.'
19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?#rl
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How blind you are! Which is the more important, the gift or the altar which makes the gift holy
20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
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So then, when a person swears by the altar, he is swearing by it and by all the gifts on it;
21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.#rl
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and when he swears by the Temple, he is swearing by it and by God, who lives there
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
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and when someone swears by heaven, he is swearing by God's throne and by him who sits on it.
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
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"How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You give to God one tenth even of the seasoning herbs, such as mint, dill, and cumin, but you neglect to obey the really important teachings of the Law, such as justice and mercy and honesty. These you should practice, without neglecting the others.
24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
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Blind guides! You strain a fly out of your drink, but swallow a camel!
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
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"How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You clean the outside of your cup and plate, while the inside is full of what you have gotten by violence and selfishness.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
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Blind Pharisee! Clean what is inside the cup first, and then the outside will be clean too!
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
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"How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look fine on the outside but are full of bones and decaying corpses on the inside.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
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In the same way, on the outside you appear good to everybody, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and sins.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
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"How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You make fine tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of those who lived good lives;
30 And 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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and you claim that if you had lived during the time of your ancestors, you would not have done what they did and killed the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
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So you actually admit that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets!
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
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Go on, then, and finish up what your ancestors started!
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
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You snakes and children of snakes! How do you expect to escape from being condemned to hell?
34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
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And so I tell you that I will send you prophets and wise men and teachers; you will kill some of them, crucify others, and whip others in the synagogues and chase them from town to town.
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
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As a result, the punishment for the murder of all innocent people will fall on you, from the murder of innocent Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the Temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.#rl
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I tell you indeed: the punishment for all these murders will fall on the people of this day
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
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"Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone the messengers God has sent you! How many times I wanted to put my arms around all your people, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not let me!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
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And so your Temple will be abandoned and empty.
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
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From now on, I tell you, you will never see me again until you say, "God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord.' "
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.