Y The Melchizedek Bible

THE MELCHIZEDEK BIBLE

KING JAMES VERSION

Matthew 23	Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitude and to his disciples,	1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 "The instructors of the law and the Pharisees claim their judicial authority from Moses.	2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3 "Regardless of their wickedness, do whatever they bid you observe or to do; but do not follow after their example, for they do not do as they teach.	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.
4 "They place heavy ecclesiastical burdens, grievously to be borne, on their followers, but they themselves will not move one of their fingers to adjust those senseless burdens for the benefit of their followers^.	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.
5 "But all their actions are designed to be seen by others, for they make broad their amulets and enlarge the borders of their garments^,	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,
6 "And love the places of honor at feasts, and the honored seats in the synagogues^,	6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 "And greetings in the markets^, and to be addressed as, 'My Master^, My Master.'	7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 "But you must not be called 'My Master^,' for One is your Master, even your Savior, and you are all equal as brethren.	8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, [even] Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 "And call no man on earth your father, for one is your Father which is harmonious, parental Principle.	9 And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 "Neither be called teachers, for one is your Teacher, even divine Truth.	10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, [even] Christ.
11 "But the greatest among you will be the one that serves you.	11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 "And whoever will exalt one's self will become humbled, and whoever will humble one's self will become exalted.	12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13 "But woe to you, government lawyers and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut people out of the reign of righteousness, as you neither go in yourselves, nor allow the ones who are entitled to enter.	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.
14 "Woe to you, government lawyers and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, yet put on a hypocritical show of long prayers, therefore you will be punished with severe damnation^.	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.
15 "Woe to you, government lawyers and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel over land and sea to make one proselyte, and when that one is made, you make the same twice as iniquitous as you are.	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.
16 "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever will swear by the temple, it is not binding; but whoever will swear by the gold of the temple, the same is bound by that oath!	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!
17 "You blind fools; for which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?	17 [Ye] fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18 "You also teach, 'Whoever will swear by the altar, it is not binding; but whoever swears by the gift that is upon it, the same is bound by that oath.'	18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
19 "You blind fools; for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?	19 [Ye] fools and blind: for whether [is] greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20 "Therefore, whoever will swear by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it.	20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21 "Whoever will swear by the temple, swears by it, including the Spirit by which it abides.	21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22 "And the one that swears by that which is holy, swears by the power of God, and by the one that reflects divine sovereignty.	22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
23 "Woe to you, government lawyers and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay a tenth of your spices, mint and dill and cummin, but have omitted the weightier matters of the law, righteousness, mercy, and faith; these you should have practiced, yet without leaving the other undone^.	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.
24 "You blind guides, that will strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!	24 [Ye] blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25 "Woe to you, government lawyers and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of prey obtained by greed and selfishness^.	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.
26 "You blind Pharisees, cleanse first your evil way that fills your cup and platter, and cleanse the outside of them as well^.	26 [Thou] blind Pharisee, cleanse first that [which is] within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 "Woe to you, government lawyers and Pharisees, hypocrites! For your scholastic theology is like gilded sepulchers, which indeed appear outwardly beautiful, but are entirely false, and thereby you bury the highest hopes of those you teach.	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.
28 "Even so you are externals which only appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.	28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 "Woe to you, government lawyers and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build tombs for the prophets, and gild the sepulchers of the righteous^,	29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30 "And declare, 'If we had lived at the time of our ancestors, we would not have taken part in shedding the prophets' blood^.'	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.
31 "But you are witnesses against yourselves, because you are the offspring of the very mentality which killed the prophets^.	31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 "Carry out the full extent of your iniquity, as your ancestors would.	32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 "You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how can you escape the 'effects of sin^'?	33 [Ye] serpents, [ye] generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
34 "Wherefore, the almighty I-am sends to you prophets, and rabbis, and teachers, but some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and chase them from city to city.	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:
35 "You will be guilty for all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zachariah, son of Jehoiada^, whom your type slew between the temple and the altar^.	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.
36 "Verily I tell you, all this will come to pass during this age.	36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you would not accept me^!	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!
38 "Behold, your consciousness^ is left unto you desolate.	38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 "For I tell you, you will not see me henceforth, until you will submit to Truth, declaring, 'Blessed is he that comes in the nature of the infinite I-am.'"	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.