Matthew · Chapter 23

[ edit] Thanne Jheſus ſpac to þe cumpanyes of peple, and to his diſciplis, ſeiynge, Vpon þe chaier of Moyſes, ſcribis and Phariſees ſeeten. Þerfore kepe ȝee, and do ȝee alle þingis, what euere þingis þei ſhulen ſeie to ȝou. But nyl ȝee do after her werkis; ſoþely þei ſeien, and don nat. Soþely þei bynden to greuouſe chargis, and vnportable, or þat mown nat be born, and putten in to ſhuldres of men; but wiþ her fyngir þei wolen nat moue hem. Þerfore þei don alle her werkis, þat þei be ſeen of men; forſoþe þei alargen her filateries, þat ben ſmale ſcrowis, and magnyfie hemmys.

Soþely þei louen þe firſt ſittyng placis in ſopers, and þe firſt chaiers in ſynagogis; and ſalutaciouns in þe chepyng, and to ben clepid of men maiſtirs. Soþely nyl ȝee ben clepid maiſtir; for oon is ȝoure maiſtir, forſoþe alle ȝe ben breþren. And nyl ȝe clepe to ȝou a fadir on erþe, for oon is ȝoure fadir, þat is in heuenes. Neþer be ȝe clepid maiſtirs, for oon is ȝour maiſtre, Criſt. He þat is more of ȝou, ſhal be ȝoure mynyſtre. Forſoþe he þat ſhal hie hym ſelf, ſhal be mekid; and he þat ſhal meeke hym ſelf, ſhal ben enhaunſid. Soþely woo to ȝou, ſcribis and Phariſees, ypocritis, for ȝe cloſen þe kyngdam of heuenes before men; ſoþely ȝe entren nat, ne ſuffre men entrynge for to entre.

Woo to ȝou, ſcribis and Phariſees, ypocritis, þat eten þe houſis of widues, in longe preier preyinge; for þis þing ȝe ſhulen take þe more dom. Woo to ȝou, ſcribis and Phariſees, ypocritis, þat cumpaſen þe ſe and þe lond, þat ȝee maken o proſelite, þat is, a conuertid to ȝoure ordre; and whanne he ſhal be maad, ȝe maken hym a ſone of helle, double more þan ȝou. Woo to ȝou, blynde lederis, þat ſeien, Who euere ſhal ſwere by þe temple of God, no þing is; ſoþely he þat ſhal ſwere in þe gold of þe temple, owiþ, or is detour. Ȝee folis and blynde, forſoþe what is more, þe gold, or þe temple þat halowiþ þe gold?

And who euer ſhal ſwere in þe auter, no þing is; but he þat ſhal ſwere in þe ȝifte þat is on þe auter, owiþ. Blynde men, forſoþe what is more, þe ȝift, or þe auter þat halowiþ þe ȝifte? Forſoþe he þat ſweriþ in þe auter, ſweriþ in it, and alle þingis þat ben þeron. And he þat ſweriþ in þe temple, ſweriþ in it, and in hym þat dwelliþ in þe temple. And he þat ſweriþ in heuene, ſweriþ in þe trone of God, and in hym þat ſittiþ þeron. Woo to ȝou, ſcribis and Phariſees, ypocritis, þat tiþen mente, anete, and comyn, and han lefte þo þingis þat ben greuouſer, or of more charge, of þe lawe, dom, and mercy, and feiþ. And þeſe þingis it behofte, or nedide, for to do, and not to leeue hem.

Blynde leders, clenſynge a gnatte, but ſwolowynge a camel. Woo to ȝou, ſcribis and Phariſees, ipocritis, þat maken clene þat þing of þe cuppe and plater, þat is wiþ outforþ; forſoþe wiþ ynne ȝe ben ful of raueyne and vnclenneſſe. Þou blynd Phariſee, clenſe firſt þat þing of þe cuppe and plater þat is wiþ ynneforþ, þat and þat þing þat is wiþ outenforþ be maad clene. Woo to ȝou, ſcribis and Phariſees, ipocritis, þat ben lic to ſepulcris maad whijt, þe whiche wiþ outen forþ ſemen faire to men; ſoþely wiþ ynne þei ben ful of boonys of dead men, and al filþe. So and ȝee forſoþe wiþ outen forþ aperen iuſte to men; but wiþ ynne ȝee ben ful of ypocriſie and wickidneſſe.

Woo to ȝou, ſcribis and Phariſees, ipocritis, þat belden ſepulcris of prophetis, and maken faire þe birielis of iuſte men, and ſeien, Ȝif we hadden ben in þe dayes of our fadris, we ſhulden nat han be here felowis in þe blood of prophetis. And ſo ȝe ben in witneſſyng to ȝou ſelf, for ȝe ben þe ſonys of hem þat ſlowen þe prophetis. And ȝe fulfillen þe meſure of ȝoure fadris. Ȝee ſarpentis, fruytis, or buriownyngus, of eddris, þat ſleen her modris, hou ſhulen ȝee flee fro þe dom of helle? Þerfore loo!

I ſende to ȝou prophetis, and wiſe men, and ſcribis, or writeris; and of hem ȝee ſhulen ſlee, and crucifie, and of hem ȝe ſhulen bete in ȝour ſynagogis, and ſhulen purſue fro citee in to citee; þat al þe iuſte blode come vpon ȝou, þat was ſhed on þe erþe, fro þe blood of iuſt Abel til þe blood of Zacharie, þe ſone of Barachie, whom ȝee ſlowen bitwixe þe temple and þe auter. Trewli I ſeie to ȝou, alle þeſe þingis ſhulen come vpon þis generacioun. Jeruſalem, Jeruſalem, þat ſleeſt prophetis, and ſtonyſt hem þat ben ſent to þee, hou oft wold I gedre to gidre þi ſonys, as an henne gedreþ togidre hir chikenys vndir hir wengis, and þou woldiſt nat.

Loo! ȝoure hous ſhal be lefte to ȝou deſert, or forſaken. Forſoþe I ſeie to ȝou, ȝee ſhulen nat ſee me fro hennys forþ, til þat ȝee ſeien, Bleſſid is he, þat cumeþ in þe name of þe Lord.