Chapter LVIII

WOES AGAINST SCRIBES, PHARISEES AND HYPOCRITES.

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

The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: all
therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, _that_ observe and
do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
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.

But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make
broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the border of their
garments, and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the
chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets,
and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called
Rabbi: for one is your Master, _even_ Christ; and all ye are
brethren. And call no _man_ your father upon the earth: for
one is your Father which is in heaven. Neither be ye called
masters: for one is your Master, _even_ Christ. But he that is
greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall
exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble
himself shall be exalted.

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.

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.

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 two-fold more the child of hell than yourselves.

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

And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but
whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
_Ye_ fools and blind: for whether _is_ greater, the gift, or
the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall
swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things
thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it,
and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by
heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth
thereon.

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

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. _Thou_ blind Pharisee,
cleanse first that _which is_ within the cup and platter, that
the outside of them may be clean also.

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

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye
build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of
the righteous, 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. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto
yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the
prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. _Ye_
serpents, _ye_ generation of vipers, how can ye escape the
damnation of hell.

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

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! Behold, your
house is left unto you desolate. 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.