SEVEN WOES

MATTHEW Chapter 23

Seven Woes

Then Jesus said to the Crowds

And to His Disciples:

2 The Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

Sit in Moses' Seat.

3 So you Must Obey them

And do everything they tell you.

BUT DO NOT DO WHAT THEY DO,

FOR THEY DO NOT PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACH.

4 THEY TIE UP HEAEY LOADS

AND PUT THEM ON MEN'S SHOULDDERS,

BUT THEY THEMSELVES

ARE NOT WILLING TO LIFT A FINGER TO MOVE THEM.

5 EVERYTHING THEY DO

IS DONE FOR MEN TO SEE:

They make their Phylacteries wide

And the tassels of their Prayer Shawls long;

6 They love the Place of Honor at Banquets

And the most Important Seats in the Synagogues;

7 They love to be greeted in the Marketplaces

And to have men call them 'Rabbi.'

8 BUT YOU ARE NOT TO BE CALLED 'RABBI,'

FOR YOU HAVE ONLY ONE MASTER

AND YOU ARE ALL BROTHERS.

9 AND DO NOT CALL ANYONE ON EARTH 'FATHER,'

FOR YOU HAVE ONE FATHER,

AND HE IS IN HEAVEN.

10 NOR ARE YOU TO BE CALLED 'TEACHER,'

FOR YOU HAVE ONE TEACHER, THE CHRIST.

11 THE GREATEST AMONG YOU WILL BE YOUR SERVANT.

12 FOR WHOEVER EXALTS HIMSELF WILL BE HUMBLED,

AND WHOEVER HUMBLES HIMSELF WILL BE EXALTED.

13 WOE TO YOU,

Teachers of the Law and Pharisees,

YOU HYPOCRITES!

YOU SHUT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IN MEN'S FACES.

14 YOU YOURSELVES DO NOT ENTER,

NOR WILL YOU LET THOSE ENTER

WHO ARE TRYING TO.

15 WOE TO YOU,

Teachers of the Law and Pharisees,

YOU HYPOCRITES!

You travel over land and sea to win a single convert,

And when he becomes one,

YOU MAKE HIM TWICE AS MUCH A SON OF HELL

AS YOU ARE.

16 WOE TO YOU, BLIND GUIDES!

You say, 'If anyone swears by the Temple,

It means Nothing;

But if anyone Swears by the gold of the Temple,

He is Bound by his Oath.'

17 YOU BLIND FOOLS!

Which is Greater:

The gold, or the Temple

That makes the gold Sacred?

18 You also say,

'If anyone Swears by the Altar,

It means Nothing;

But if anyone Swears by the Gift on it,

He is Bound by his Oath.'

19 YOU BLIND MEN!

Which is Greater:

The Gift, or the Altar

That makes the Gift Sacred?

20 Therefore, he who Swears by the Altar

Swears by it

And by everything on it.

21 And he who Swears by the Temple

Swears by it

AND BY THE ONE WHO DWELLS IN IT.

22 AND HE WHO SWEARS BY HEAVEN

SWEARS BY GOD'S THRONE

AND BY THE ONE WHO SITS ON IT.

23 WOE TO YOU,

Teachers of the Law and Pharisees,

YOU HYPOCRITES!

You give a Tenth of your spices--

Mint, dill and cummin.

BUT YOU HAVE NEGLECTED

THE MORE IMPORTANT MATTERS OF THE LAW--

JUSTICE, MERCY AND FAITHFULNESS.

YOU SHOULD HAVE PRACTICED THE LATTER,

WITHOUT NEGLECTING THE FORMER.

24 YOU BLIND GUIDES!

YOU STRAIN OUT A GNAT

BUT SWALLOW A CAMEL.

25 WOE TO YOU,

Teachers of the Law and Pharisees,

YOU HYPOCRITES!

YOU CLEAN THE OUTSIDE OF THE CUP AND DISH,

BUT INSIDE THEY ARE FULL OF GREED

AND SELF-INDULGENCE.

24 BLIND PHARISEE!

FIRST CLEAN THE INSIDE OF THE CUP AND DISH,

AND THEN THE OUTSIDE ALSO WILL BE CLEAN.

27 WOE TO YOU,

Teachers of the Law and Pharisees,

YOU HYPOCRITES!

YOU ARE LIKE WHITEWASHED TOMBS,

WHICH LOOK BEAUTIFUL ON THE OUTSIDE

BUT ON THE INSIDE ARE FULL OF DEAD MEN'S BONES

AND EVERYTHING UNCLEAN.

28 IN THE SAME WAY,

ON THE OUTSIDE YOU APPEAR TO PEOPLE AS RIGHTEOUS

BUT ON THE INSIDE

YOU ARE FULL OF HYPOCRISY AND WICKEDNESS.

29 WOE TO YOU,

Teachers of the Law and Pharisees,

YOU HYPOCRITES!

YOU BUILD TOMBS FOR THE PROPHETS

AND DECORATE THE GRAVES OF THE RIGHTEOUS.

30 AND YOU SAY,

'IF WE HAD LIVED IN THE DAYS OF OUR FOREFATHERS,

WE WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN PART WITH THEM

IN SHEDDING THE BLOOD OF THE PROPHETS.'

31 SO YOU TESTIFY AGASINST YOURSELVES

THAT YOU ARE THE DESCENDANTS

OF THOSE WHO MURDERED THE PROPHETS.

32 FILL UP, THEN, THE MEASURE OF THE SIN

OF YOUR FOREFATHERS!

33 YOU SNAKES!

YOU BROOD OF VIPERS!

HOW WILL YOU ESCAPE BEING CONDEMNED TO HELL?

34 THEREFORE I AM SENDING YOU PROPHETS

AND WISE MEN AND TEACHERS.

SOME OF THEM YOU WILL KILL AND CRUCIFY;

OTHERS YOU WILL FLOG IN YOUR SYNAGOGUES

AND PURSUE FROM TOWN TO TOWN.

35 AND SO UPON YOU WILL COME

ALL THE RIGHTEOUS BLOOD

THAT HAS BEEN SHED ON EARTH,

FROM THE BLOOD OF RIGHEOUS ABLE

TO THE BLOOD OF ZECHARIAH SON OF BERAKIAH,

WHOM YOU MURDERED

BETWEEN THE TEMPLE AND THE ALTAR.

36 I TELL YOU THE TRUTH,

ALL THIS WILL COME UPON THIS GENERATION.

37 O JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM,

YOU WHO KILL THE PROPHETS AND STONE THOSE SENT TO YOU,

HOW OFTEN I HAVE LONGED

TO GATHER YOUR CHILDREN TOGETHER,

AS A HEN GATHERS HER CHICKS

UNDER HER WINGS,

BUT YOU WERE NOT WILLING.

38 LOOK, YOUR HOUSE IS LEFT TO 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.'

(Matthew 23)