مَتَّى 23

١ 1 عِنْدَئِذٍ خَاطَبَ يَسُوعُ الْجُمُوعَ وَتَلامِيذَهُ،

Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:

٢ 2 وَقَالَ: «اعْتَلَى الْكَتَبَةُ وَالْفَرِّيسِيُّونَ كُرْسِيَّ مُوسَى:

“The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

٣ 3 فَاحْفَظُوا كُلَّ مَا يَقُولُونَهُ لَكُمْ وَاعْمَلُوا بِهِ. وَلَكِنْ لَا تَعْمَلُوا مِثْلَ مَا يَعْمَلُونَ؛ لأَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ وَلا يَفْعَلُونَ،

So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

٤ 4 بَلْ يَحْزِمُونَ أَحْمَالاً ثَقِيلَةً لَا تُطَاقُ وَيَضَعُونَهَا عَلَى أَكْتَافِ النَّاسِ، وَلَكِنَّهُمْ هُمْ لَا يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُحَرِّكُوهَا بِطَرَفِ الإِصْبَعِ.

They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

٥ 5 وَكُلُّ مَا يَعْمَلُونَهُ، فَإِنَّمَا يَعْمَلُونَهُ لِكَيْ يَلْفِتُوا نَظَرَ النَّاسِ إِلَيْهِمْ. فَهُمْ يَجْعَلُونَ عَصَائِبَهُمْ عَرِيضَةً وَيُطِيلُونَ أَطْرَافَ أَثْوَابِهِمْ؛

All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.

٦ 6 وَيُحِبُّونَ أَمَاكِنَ الصَّدَارَةِ فِي الْوَلائِمِ، وَالأَمَاكِنَ الْمُتَقَدِّمَةَ فِي الْمَجَامِعِ،

They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,

٧ 7 وَأَنْ تُلْقَى عَلَيْهِمِ التَّحِيَّاتُ فِي السَّاحَاتِ، وَأَنْ يَدْعُوَهُمُ النَّاسُ:’يَا مُعَلِّمُ، يَا مُعَلِّمُ.‘

the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.

٨ 8 أَمَّا أَنْتُمْ، فَلا تَقْبَلُوا أَنْ يَدْعُوَكُمْ أَحَدٌ: يَا مُعَلِّمُ! لأَنَّ مُعَلِّمَكُمْ وَاحِدٌ، وَأَنْتُمْ جَمِيعاً إِخْوَةٌ.

But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.

٩ 9 وَلا تَدْعُوا أَحَداً عَلَى الأَرْضِ أَباً لَكُمْ؛ لأَنَّ أَبَاكُمْ وَاحِدٌ، وَهُوَ الآبُ الَّذِي فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ.

And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.

١٠ 10 وَلا تَقْبَلُوا أَنْ يَدْعُوَكُمْ أَحَدٌ رُؤَسَاءَ، لأَنَّ رَئِيسَكُمْ وَاحِدٌ، وَهُوَ الْمَسِيحُ.

Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.

١١ 11 وَلْيَكُنْ أَكْبَرُكُمْ خَادِماً لَكُمْ.

The greatest among you shall be your servant.

١٢ 12 فَإِنَّ كُلَّ مَنْ يُرَفِّعُ نَفْسَهُ يُوْضَعُ، وَمَنْ يَضَعُ نَفْسَهُ يُرَفَّعُ.

For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

١٣ 13 لَكِنِ الْوَيْلُ لَكُمْ أَيُّهَا الْكَتَبَةُ وَالْفَرِّيسِيُّونَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ! فَإِنَّكُمْ تُغْلِقُونَ مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ فِي وُجُوهِ النَّاسِ، فَلا أَنْتُمْ تَدْخُلُونَ، وَلا تَدَعُونَ الدَّاخِلِينَ يَدْخُلُونَ!

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.

١٤ 14 الْوَيْلُ لَكُمْ أَيُّهَا الْكَتَبَةُ وَالْفَرِّيسِيُّونَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ! فَإِنَّكُمْ تَلْتَهِمُونَ بُيُوتَ الأَرَامِلِ وَتَتَبَاهُونَ بِإِطَالَةِ صَلَوَاتِكُمْ. لِذَلِكَ سَتَنْزِلُ بِكُمْ دَيْنُونَةٌ أَقْسَى!

١٥ 15 الْوَيْلُ لَكُمْ أَيُّهَا الْكَتَبَةُ وَالْفَرِّيسِيُّونَ الْمُرَاؤُونَ! فَإِنَّكُمْ تَطُوفُونَ الْبَحْرَ وَالْبَرَّ لِتَكْسَبُوا مُتَهَوِّداً وَاحِداً؛ فَإِذَا تَهَوَّدَ جَعَلْتُمُوهُ أَهْلاً لِجَهَنَّمَ ضِعْفَ مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ! (Geenna g1067)

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. (Geenna g1067)

١٦ 16 الْوَيْلُ لَكُمْ أَيُّهَا الْقَادَةُ الْعُمْيَانُ! تَقُولُونَ: مَنْ أَقْسَمَ بِالْهَيْكَلِ، فَقَسَمُهُ غَيْرُ مُلْزِمٍ؛ أَمَّا مَنْ أَقْسَمَ بِذَهَبِ الْهَيْكَلِ، فَقَسَمُهُ مُلْزِمٌ!

Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’

١٧ 17 أَيُّهَا الْجُهَّالُ وَالْعُمْيَانُ! أَيُّ الاِثْنَيْنِ أَعْظَمُ: الذَّهَبُ أَمِ الْهَيْكَلُ الَّذِي يَجْعَلُ الذَّهَبَ مُقَدَّساً؟

You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?

١٨ 18 وَتَقُولُونَ: مَنْ أَقْسَمَ بِالْمَذْبَحِ، فَقَسَمُهُ غَيْرُ مُلْزِمٍ؛ أَمَّا مَنْ أَقْسَمَ بِالْقُرْبَانِ الَّذِي عَلَى الْمَذْبَحِ، فَقَسَمُهُ مُلْزِمٌ!

And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’

١٩ 19 أَيُّهَا الْعُمْيَانُ! أَيُّ الاِثْنَيْنِ أَعْظَمُ: الْقُرْبَانِ أَمِ الْمَذْبَحُ الَّذِي يَجْعَلُ الْقُرْبَانَ مُقَدَّسَاً؟

You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?

٢٠ 20 فَإِنَّ مَنْ أَقْسَمَ بِالْمَذْبَحِ، فَقَدْ أَقْسَمَ بِهِ وَبِكُلِّ مَا عَلَيْهِ؛

So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

٢١ 21 وَمَنْ أَقْسَمَ بِالْهَيْكَلِ، فَقَدْ أَقْسَمَ بِهِ وَبِالسَّاكِنِ فِيهِ؛

And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it.

٢٢ 22 وَمَنْ أَقْسَمَ بِالسَّمَاءِ، فَقَدْ أَقْسَمَ بِعَرْشِ اللهِ وَبِالْجَالِسِ عَلَيْهِ!

And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it.

٢٣ 23 الْوَيْلُ لَكُمْ أَيُّهَا الْكَتَبَةُ وَالْفَرِّيسِيُّونَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ! فَإِنَّكُمْ تُقَدِّمُونَ حَتَّى عُشُورَ النَّعْنَعِ وَالشِّبِثِّ وَالْكَمُّونِ، وَقَدْ أَهْمَلْتُمْ أَهَمَّ مَا فِي الشَّرِيعَةِ: الْعَدْلَ وَالرَّحْمَةَ وَالأَمَانَةَ. كَانَ يَجِبُ أَنْ تَفْعَلُوا هَذِهِ وَلا تُغْفِلُوا تِلْكَ!

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

٢٤ 24 أَيُّهَا الْقَادَةُ الْعُمْيَانُ! إِنَّكُمْ تُصَفُّونَ الْمَاءَ مِنَ الْبَعُوضَةِ، وَلَكِنَّكُمْ تَبْلَعُونَ الْجَمَلَ!

You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

٢٥ 25 الْوَيْلُ لَكُمْ أَيُّهَا الْكَتَبَةُ وَالْفَرِّيسِيُّونَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ! فَإِنَّكُمْ تُنَظِّفُونَ الْكَأْسَ وَالصَّحْنَ مِنَ الْخَارِجِ، وَلَكِنْ دَاخِلَهُمَا مُمْتَلِئٌ بِمَا كَسَبْتُمْ بِالنَّهْبِ وَالطَّمَعِ!

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

٢٦ 26 أَيُّهَا الْفَرِّيسِيُّ الأَعْمَى، نَظِّفْ أَوَّلاً دَاخِلَ الْكَأْسِ لِيَصِيرَ خَارِجُهَا أَيْضاً نَظِيفاً!

Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.

٢٧ 27 الْوَيْلُ لَكُمْ أَيُّهَا الْكَتَبَةُ وَالْفَرِّيسِيُّونَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ! فَإِنَّكُمْ كَالْقُبُورِ الْمُبَيَّضَةِ: تَبْدُو جَمِيلَةً مِنَ الْخَارِجِ، وَلَكِنَّهَا مِنَ الدَّاخِلِ مُمْتَلِئَةٌ بِعِظَامِ الْمَوْتَى وَكُلِّ نَجَاسَةٍ!

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity.

٢٨ 28 كَذَلِكَ أَنْتُمْ أَيْضاً، تَبْدُونَ لِلنَّاسِ صَالِحِينَ، وَلَكِنَّكُمْ مِنَ الدَّاخِلِ مُمْتَلِئُونَ بِالنِّفَاقِ وَالْفِسْقِ!

In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

٢٩ 29 الْوَيْلُ لَكُمْ أَيُّهَا الْكَتَبَةُ وَالْفَرِّيسِيُّونَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ! فَإِنَّكُمْ تَبْنُونَ قُبُورَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ وَتُزَيِّنُونَ مَدَافِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ،

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.

٣٠ 30 وَتَقُولُونَ: لَوْ عِشْنَا فِي زَمَنِ آبَائِنَا لَمَا شَارَكْنَاهُمْ فِي سَفْكِ دَمِ الأَنْبِيَاءِ.

And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’

٣١ 31 فَبِهَذَا تَشْهَدُونَ عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ بِأَنَّكُمْ أَبْنَاءُ قَاتِلِي الأَنْبِيَاءِ!

So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.

٣٢ 32 فَأَكْمِلُوا مَا بَدَأَهُ آبَاؤُكُمْ لِيَطْفَحَ الْكَيْلُ!

Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers.

٣٣ 33 أَيُّهَا الْحَيَّاتُ، أَوْلادَ الأَفَاعِي! كَيْفَ تُفْلِتُونَ مِنْ عِقَابِ جَهَنَّمَ؟ (Geenna g1067)

You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell? (Geenna g1067)

٣٤ 34 لِذَلِكَ: هَا أَنَا أُرْسِلُ إِلَيْكُمْ أَنْبِيَاءَ وَحُكَمَاءَ وَمُعَلِّمِينَ، فَبَعْضَهُمْ تَقْتُلُونَ وَتَصْلِبُونَ، وَبَعْضَهُمْ تَجْلِدُونَ فِي مَجَامِعِكُمْ، وَتُطَارِدُونَهُمْ مِنْ مَدِينَةٍ إِلَى أُخْرَى.

Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute in town after town.

٣٥ 35 وَبِهَذَا يَقَعُ عَلَيْكُمْ كُلُّ دَمٍ زَكِيٍّ سُفِكَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ: مِنْ دَمِ هَابِيلَ الْبَارِّ إِلَى دَمِ زَكَرِيَّا بْنِ بَرَخِيَّا الَّذِي قَتَلْتُمُوهُ بَيْنَ الْهَيْكَلِ وَالْمَذْبَحِ.

And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

٣٦ 36 الْحَقَّ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ: إِنَّ عِقَابَ ذلِكَ كُلِّهِ سَيَنْزِلُ بِهَذَا الْجِيلِ.

Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.

٣٧ 37 يَا أُورُشَلِيمُ، يَا أُورُشَلِيمُ، يَا قَاتِلَةَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ وَرَاجِمَةَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلَيْهَا! كَمْ مَرَّةٍ أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَجْمَعَ أَوْلادَكِ كَمَا تَجْمَعُ الدَّجَاجَةُ فِرَاخَهَا تَحْتَ جَنَاحَيْهَا، فَلَمْ تُرِيدُوا!

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

٣٨ 38 هَا إِنَّ بَيْتَكُمْ يُتْرَكُ لَكُمْ خَرَاباً!

Look, your house is left to you desolate.

٣٩ 39 فَإِنِّي أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَرَوْنِي مِنَ الآنَ، حَتَّى تَقُولُوا: مُبَارَكٌ الآتِي بِاسْمِ الرَّبِّ!»

For I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Jesus Preaches to the Multitude