¶ Then spake Iesus to the people, and to his disciples, saying: The scribes and the pharises sit in Moses' seat, whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do: but after their works do not: for they say, and do not. Yea and they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders: but they themselves will not heave them with one finger. All their works they do, for to be seen of men. They set abroad their phylacteries, and make large borders on their garments, and love to sit uppermost at feasts, and to have the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets and to be called of men Rabbi.
¶ But ye shall not suffer yourselves to be called Rabbi, for one is your master, that is to wit Christ, and all ye are brethren. And call ye no man your father upon the earth, for one is your father, and he is in heaven. Be not called masters, for one is your master, and he is Christ. He that is greatest among you, shall be your servant. But whosoever exalteth himself, shall be brought low. And he that submiteth himself, shall be exalted.
¶ Woe be unto you scribes and pharises dissemblers, for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven before men: ye yourselves go not in, neither suffer ye them that come to enter in.
¶ Woe be unto you scribes and pharises, for ye devour widows' houses, and that under a colour of praying long prayers, wherefore ye shall receive greater damnation.
¶ Woe be unto you scribes and pharises hypocrites, for ye compass sea and land, to bring one into your belief: and when ye have brought him ye make him two fold more the child of hell, than ye yourselves are.
¶ Woe be unto you blind guides, for ye say: whosoever swear by the temple, it is nothing: but whosoever swear by the gold of the temple, he is debtor. Ye fools and blind? whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold. And whosoever sweareth by the altar it is nothing: but whosoever sweareth by the offering that lieth on the altar is debtor. Ye fools and blind: whether is greater the offering, or the altar which sanctifieth the offering? whosoever therefore sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all that thereon is. And whosoever sweareth by the temple sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the seat of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
¶ Woe be to you scribes and pharises dissemblers, for ye tithe mint, annise, and cummin, and leave the weightier matters of the law undone: judgement, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to have left the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.
¶ Woe be to you scribes and pharises hypocrites, for ye make clean the outer side of the cup, and of the platter: but within they are full of bribery and excess. Thou blind pharise, cleanse first, that which is within the cup and the platter, that the outside may also be clean.
¶ Woe be to you scribes, and pharises hypocrites, for ye are like unto painted tombs which appear beautiful outwards: but are within full of dead men's bones and of all filthiness. So are ye, for outward ye appear righteous unto men, when within ye are full of dissimulation and iniquity.
¶ Woe be unto you scribes and pharises hypocrites, for ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of just men, and say: If we had been in our fathers' time, we would not have been partners with them in the blood of the prophets. So are ye witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them, which killed the prophets. Fulfil ye likewise the measure of your fathers: yea serpents and generation of vipers, how shall ye scape the damnation of hell?
¶ Wherefore behold I send unto you, prophets wise men and scribes, and of them some shall ye kill and crucify, and some shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, that all righteous blood may fall upon you, which was shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar: Verily I say unto you, all these things shall light upon this generation. Hierusalem, Hierusalem which killest prophets, and stonest them which are sent to thee: how often would I have gathered thy children togedder, as the hen gathereth her chickens under her wings? but ye would not? behold your habitation shall be left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, ye shall not see me henceforth, till that ye say: blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
© Faith of God
William Tyndale 1526