Christ admonishes the people to follow the good doctrine, not the bad example of the scribes and Pharisees. He warns his disciples not to imitate their ambition and denounces divers woes against them for their hypocrisy and blindness.

 1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
Tunc Jesus locutus est ad turbas, et ad discipulos suos,

 2 Saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses.
dicens : Super cathedram Moysi sederunt scribae et pharisaei.

 3 All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not; for they say, and do not.
Omnia ergo quaecumque dixerint vobis, servate, et facite : secundum opera vero eorum nolite facere : dicunt enim, et non faciunt.

 4 For they bind heavy and insupportable burdens, and lay them on men's shoulders; but with a finger of their own they will not move them.
Alligant enim onera gravia, et importabilia, et imponunt in humeros hominum : digito autem suo nolunt ea movere.

 5 And all their works they do for to be seen of men. For they make their phylacteries broad, and enlarge their fringes.
Omnia vero opera sua faciunt ut videantur ab hominibus : dilatant enim phylacteria sua, et magnificant fimbrias.

 6 And they love the first places at feasts, and the first chairs in the synagogues,
Amant autem primos recubitus in coenis, et primas cathedras in synagogis,

 7 And salutations in the market place, and to be called by men, Rabbi.
et salutationes in foro, et vocari ab hominibus Rabbi.

 8 But be not you called Rabbi. For one is your master; and all you are brethren.
Vos autem nolite vocari Rabbi : unus est enim magister vester, omnes autem vos fratres estis.

 9 And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven.
Et patrem nolite vocare vobis super terram : unus est enim pater vester qui in caelis est.

 10 Neither be ye called masters; for one is your master, Christ.
Nec vocemini magistri : quia magister vester unus est, Christus.

 11 He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant.
Qui major est vestrum, erit minister vester.

 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Qui autem se exaltaverit, humiliabitur : et qui se humiliaverit, exaltabitur.

 13 But woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men, for you yourselves do not enter in; and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter.
Vae autem vobis scribae et pharisaei hypocritae, quia clauditis regnum caelorum ante homines! vos enim non intratis, nec introeuntes sinitis intrare.

 14 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because you devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. For this you shall receive the greater judgment.
Vae vobis scribae et pharisaei hypocritae, quia comeditis domos viduarum, orationes longas orantes! propter hoc amplius accipietis judicium.

 15 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves.
Vae vobis scribae et pharisaei hypocritae, quia circuitis mare, et aridam, ut faciatis unum proselytum, et cum fuerit factus, facitis eum filium gehennae duplo quam vos.

 16 Woe to you blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but he that shall swear by the gold of the temple, is a debtor.
Vae vobis duces caeci, qui dicitis : Quicumque juraverit per templum, nihil est : qui autem juraverit in auro templo, debet.

 17 Ye foolish and blind; for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
Stulti et caeci : quid enim majus est? aurum, an templum, quod sanctificat aurum?

 18 And whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, is a debtor.
Et quicumque juraverit in altari, nihil est : quicumque autem juraverit in dono, quod est super illud, debet.

 19 Ye blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
Caeci : quid enim majus est, donum, an altare, quod sanctificat donum?

 20 He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things that are upon it:
Qui ergo jurat in altari, jurat in eo, et in omnibus quae super illud sunt.

 21 And whosoever shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it:
Et quicumque juraverit in templo, jurat in illo, et in eo qui habitat in ipso :

 22 And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
et qui jurat in caelo, jurat in throno Dei, et in eo qui sedet super eum.

 23 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you tithe mint, and anise, and cummin, and have left the weightier things of the law; judgment, and mercy, and faith. These things you ought to have done, and not to leave those undone.
Vae vobis scribae et pharisaei hypocritae, qui decimatis mentham, et anethum, et cyminum, et reliquistis quae graviora sunt legis, judicium, et misericordiam, et fidem! haec oportuit facere, et illa non omittere.

 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Duces caeci, excolantes culicem, camelum autem glutientes.

 25 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within you are full of rapine and uncleanness.
Vae vobis scribae et pharisaei hypocritae, quia mundatis quod deforis est calicis et paropsidis; intus autem pleni estis rapina et immunditia!

 26 Thou blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside may become clean.
Pharisaee caece, munda prius quod intus est calicis, et paropsidis, ut fiat id, quod deforis est, mundum.

 27 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you are like to whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful, but within are full of dead men's bones, and of all filthiness.
Vae vobis scribae et pharisaei hypocritae, quia similes estis sepulchris dealbatis, quae a foris parent hominibus speciosa, intus vero pleni sunt ossibus mortuorum, et omni spurcitia!

 28 So you also outwardly indeed appear to men just; but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Sic et vos a foris quidem paretis hominibus justi : intus autem pleni estis hypocrisi et iniquitate.

 29 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; that build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the monuments of the just,
Vae vobis scribae et pharisaei hypocritae, qui aedificatis sepulchra prophetarum, et ornatis monumenta justorum,

 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.
et dicitis : Si fuissemus in diebus patrum nostrorum, non essemus socii eorum in sanguine prophetarum!

 31 Wherefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of them that killed the prophets.
itaque testimonio estis vobismetipsis, quia filii estis eorum, qui prophetas occiderunt.

 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
Et vos implete mensuram patrum vestrorum.

 33 You serpents, generation of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of hell?
Serpentes genimina viperarum, quomodo fugietis a judicio gehennae?

 34 Therefore behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you will put to death and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city:
Ideo ecce ego mitto ad vos prophetas, et sapientes, et scribas, et ex illis occidetis, et crucifigetis, et ex eis flagellabitis in synagogis vestris, et persequemini de civitate in civitatem :

 35 That upon you may come all the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.
ut veniat super vos omnis sanguis justus, qui effusus est super terram, a sanguine Abel justi usque ad sanguinem Zachariae, filii Barachiae, quem occidistis inter templum et altare.

 36 Amen I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation.
Amen dico vobis, venient haec omnia super generationem istam.

 37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest not?
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, quae occidis prophetas, et lapidas eos, qui ad te missi sunt, quoties volui congregare filios tuos, quemadmodum gallina congregat pullos suos sub alas, et noluisti?

 38 Behold, your house shall be left to you, desolate.
Ecce relinquetur vobis domus vestra deserta.

 39 For I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth till you say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Dico enim vobis, non me videbitis amodo, donec dicatis : Benedictus, qui venit in nomine Domini.