Matthew 23

¹Thanne Jhesus spac to the puple, and to hise disciplis,

²and seide, On the chayere of Moises, scribis and Farisees han sete.

³Therfor kepe ye, and do ye alle thingis, what euer thingis thei seien to you. But nyle ye do aftir her werkis; for thei seien, and don not.

⁴And thei bynden greuouse chargis, and that moun not be borun, and putten on schuldris of men; but with her fyngur thei wolen not moue hem.

⁵Therfor thei don alle her werkis `that thei be seen of men; for thei drawen abrood her filateries, and magnifien hemmes.

⁶And thei louen the first sittyng placis in soperis, and the first chaieris in synagogis;

⁷and salutaciouns in chepyng, and to be clepid of men maystir.

⁸But nyle ye be clepid maister; for oon is youre maystir, and alle ye ben britheren.

⁹And nyle ye clepe to you a fadir on erthe, for oon is your fadir, that is in heuenes.

¹⁰Nether be ye clepid maistris, for oon is youre maister, Crist.

¹¹He that is grettest among you, schal be youre mynystre.

¹²For he that hieth himself, schal be mekid; and he that mekith hym silf, schal be enhaunsid.

¹³But wo to you, scribis and Farisees, ipocritis, that closen the kyngdom of heuenes bifore men; and ye entren not, nether suffren men entrynge to entre.

¹⁴Wo to you, scribis and Farisees, ipocritis, that eten the housis of widowis, and preien bi longe preier; for this thing ye schulen take more doom.

¹⁵Wo to you, scribis and Farisees, ypocritis, that goon aboute the see and the loond, to make o prosilite; and whanne he is maad, ye maken hym a sone of helle, double more than ye ben.

¹⁶Wo to you, blynde lederis, that seien, Who euer swerith bi the temple of God, it is `no thing; but he that swerith in the gold of the temple, is dettoure.

¹⁷Ye foolis and blynde, for what is grettere, the gold, or the temple that halewith the gold?

¹⁸And who euer swerith in the auter, it is no thing; but he that swerith in the yifte that is on the auter, owith.

¹⁹Blynde men, for what is more, the yifte, or the auter that halewith the yifte?

²⁰Therfor he that swerith in the auter, swerith in it, and in alle thingis that ben ther on.

²¹And he that swerith in the temple, swerith in it, and in hym that dwellith in the temple.

²²And he that swerith in heuene, swerith in the trone of God, and in hym that sittith ther on.

²³Wo to you, scribis and Farisees, ypocritis, that tithen mynte, anete, and cummyn, and han left tho thingis that ben of more charge of the lawe, doom, and merci, and feith. And it bihofte to do these thingis, and not to leeue tho.

²⁴Blynde lederis, clensinge a gnatte, but swolewynge a camel.

²⁵Woo to you, scribis and Farisees, ypocritis, that clensen the cuppe and the plater with outforth; but with ynne ye ben ful of raueyne and vnclennesse.

²⁶Thou blynde Farisee, clense the cuppe and the plater with ynneforth, that that that is with outforth be maad clene.

²⁷Wo to you, scribis and Farisees, ipocritis, that ben lijk to sepulcris whitid, whiche with outforth semen faire to men; but with ynne thei ben fulle of boonus of deed men, and of al filthe.

²⁸So ye with outforth semen iust to men; but with ynne ye ben ful of ypocrisy and wickidnesse.

²⁹Wo to you, scribis and Farisees, ipocritis, that bilden sepulcris of profetis, and maken faire the birielis of iust men,

³⁰and seien, If we hadden be in the daies of oure fadris, we schulden not haue be her felowis in the blood of prophetis.

³¹And so ye ben in witnessyng to you silf, that ye ben the sones of hem that slowen the prophetis.

³²And fulfille ye the mesure of youre fadris.

³³Ye eddris, and eddris briddis, hou schulen ye fle fro the doom of helle?

³⁴Therfor lo! Y sende to you profetis, and wise men, and scribis; and of hem ye schulen sle and crucifie, and of hem ye schulen scourge in youre sinagogis, and schulen pursue fro cite in to citee;

³⁵that al the iust blood come on you, that was sched on the erthe, fro the blood of iust Abel to the blood of Zacarie, the sone of Barachie, whom ye slowen bitwixe the temple and the auter.

³⁶Treuli Y seie to you, alle these thingis schulen come on this generacioun.

³⁷Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that sleest prophetis, and stoonest hem that ben sent to thee, hou ofte wolde Y gadere togidere thi children, as an henne gaderith togidir her chikenes vndir hir wengis, and thou woldist not.

³⁸Lo! youre hous schal be left to you desert.

³⁹And Y seie to you, ye schulen not se me fro hennus forth, til ye seien, Blessid is he, that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Matthew 23

¹Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

²Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:

³All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

⁴For 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.

⁵But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

⁶And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

⁷And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

⁸But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

⁹And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

¹⁰Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

¹¹But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

¹²And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

¹³But 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.

¹⁴Woe 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.

¹⁵Woe 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.

¹⁶Woe 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!

¹⁷Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

¹⁸And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.

¹⁹Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

²⁰Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

²¹And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

²²And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

²³Woe 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.

²⁴Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

²⁵Woe 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.

²⁶Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

²⁷Woe 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.

²⁸Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

²⁹Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

³⁰And 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.

³¹Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

³²Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

³³Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

³⁴Wherefore, 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:

³⁵That 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.

³⁶Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

³⁷O 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!

³⁸Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

³⁹For 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.