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so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear,[a] and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by men; for they make their phylacteries[b] broad and their fringes long,

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 23:4 Other ancient authorities omit hard to bear
  2. 23.5 phylacteries: Little leather boxes containing, on a very small scroll, the principal words of the law; cf. Deut 6.4-9. Taking the command literally, they fastened these to their arms and their foreheads.

So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.(A)

“Everything they do is done for people to see:(B) They make their phylacteries[a](C) wide and the tassels on their garments(D) long;

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 23:5 That is, boxes containing Scripture verses, worn on forehead and arm