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¹ Then Jesus addressing himself to the people, and to his disciples, ² said, the Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses's chair. ³ therefore whatever moral precepts they bid you observe, those observe and practise; but don't follow their example: for they preach one thing, and practise another. ⁴ for they load men with intolerable impositions, and will not take the least pains to ease them of the burthen: they do nothing but out of ostentation, ⁵ their phylacterys are broader, and the fringes of their garments are larger than those of others: ⁶ they affect the uppermost place at feasts, the principal chair in the synagogues, ⁷ to be saluted in publick places, and to have men address to them with the title of Doctor Doctor. ⁸ But don't you assume that title, for you have but one doctor, who is the Christ; as for you, you are all brethren alike. ⁹ don't stile any one among you, Father upon earth; for he alone is your father, who is in heaven. ¹⁰ neither take the title of masters, for you have but one master, who is the Messias. ¹¹ he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹² for whosoever exalts himself, shall be abased; and he that humbles himself, shall be exalted.

¹³ Wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who prey upon the estates of widows, under the pretext of making long prayers; therefore ye shall be punish'd with the greater severity. ¹⁴ wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye not only refuse to go in your selves, but hinder those that would. ¹⁵ wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who ransack sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is gain'd, ye make him deserve Gehenna much more than your selves. ¹⁶ wo unto you, ye blind guides, who say, if any man swear by the temple he is under no obligation: but if he swear by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath. ¹⁷ ye blind fools, which is most sacred, the treasure of the temple, or the temple that makes the treasure sacred? ¹⁸ again, if any one swear by the altar he is under no engagement but if he swear by the gift that is upon it, he is bound thereby. ¹⁹ ye blind fools, which is most sacred, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ whoever swears by the altar, swears not only by the altar, but by every thing upon it. ²¹ and whoever swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. ²² and he that swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. ²³ wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who pay tithe of mint, anise, and cummin, but neglect those more important matters of the law, justice, mercy, and fidelity: these were the things ye ought to have practis'd, without neglecting however the other matters. ²⁴ ye blind guides, who strain your liquor for a gnat, and swallow a beetle. ²⁵ wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye clean the outside of the cup, and of the plate, but within they are full of rapine and impurity. ²⁶ thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and plate, that the outside may be likewise clean. ²⁷ wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; for ye are like whited sepulchres, which to outward appearance are fine. but within are full of dead mens bones, and all sort of filth. ²⁸ just so ye put on an air of probity in the sight of men, but within are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. ²⁹ wo unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the just, ³⁰ and say, if we had liv'd in the time of our forefathers, we would not have been accessory with them in shedding the blood of the prophets. ³¹ whereby you yourselves own that ye are indeed the children of those who killed the prophets, ³² children that can't fail to fill up the measure of your fathers iniquities. ³³ ye serpents, ye brood of vipers, how can ye escape the punishment of Gehenna?

³⁴ wherefore I shall send you prophets, and wise men, and Scribes; you will kill some, and crucify others, many will ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city. ³⁵ so that you maybe charg'd with all the innocent blood shed upon earth, from the blood of Abel the just, unto the blood of Zacharias , the son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ I declare unto you, all these things shall befall this generation. ³⁷ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not! ³⁸ know, that your habitation shall be soon turned into a desert. ³⁹ for I tell you, after a while, ye shall not see me again, till ye shall cry out, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."