Mahte 23
1 Acunüng, Jesuh naw axüisaw he ja khyangpäe jah mthehki.
Then Jesus, speaking to the crowds and to his disciples, said,
2 “Thum mtheie ja Pharise he Mosia ngawhnak üng ngawkie.
‘The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees now occupy the chair of Moses.
3 “Acunakyase, aipi ami ning jah mtheha mäiha nami ve vai, cunsepi ami pawh käh nami jah läkei vai. Ami pyena mäiha i am pawh khawi u.
Therefore practice and lay to heart everything that they preach but do not practice.
4 “Aktäa yüh lü phüi sekia phüih pyang u lü khyanga ngkyang üng mtaihkie. Amimät naw ta ami kut mdawngca am pi am hnet hlü u.
While they make up heavy loads and pile them on other people’s shoulder’s they decline, themselves, to lift a finger to move them.
5 “Khyang he naw ami jah hmuh hmuh vaia khut pawhkie. Cangcim üng a vea kba; khyang naw ami jah münnak vaia, ami mcea sawm lü ami ban ami pinnak mehvun yüiteng ua.
All their actions are done to attract attention. They widen their phylacteries, and increase the size of their tassels,
6 “Eiawknak pawia adawnak säih ngawhnak üng ngaw hlükie. Sinakoka pi akdaw säiha ngawhnak üng ngawh vai jawngnakie.
and like to have the place of honour at dinner, and the best seats in the synagogues,
7 “Jawihtuknaka pi ami jah leisawng vai, ‘Saja aw’ ti lü jah khü vai jawngnakie.
and to be greeted in the markets with respect, and to be called “Rabbi” by everybody.
8 “Nangmi naw ta ‘Saja aw’ ti lü ami ning jah khü vaia käh ve ua. Isetiüng ta, nangmi cun avan tängei u lü Saja pi mat ni nami tak.
But do not allow yourselves to be called “Rabbi,” for you have only one teacher, and you yourselves are all brothers and sisters.
9 “Khawmdek khana u pi, ‘Pa aw,’ ti lü käh khü ua. Isetiüng ta nami pa mat däk khankhawa veki ni.
And do not call anyone on the earth your “Father,” for your have only one Father, the heavenly Father.
10 “Mkhawnga ami ning jah khü vaia käh ve ua. Isetiüng ta, nami mkhawng cun Mesijah mat däk ni.
Nor must you allow yourselves to be called “leaders,” for you have only one leader, the Christ.
11 “Nangmi üng kyäp säihki cun nami mpyaa kya yah khai.
The person who wants to be the greatest among you must be your servant.
12 “Aupi, amät mhlünmtaieiki cun nem säih khai, amät mhnemeiki cun mhlünmtaia kya khai.
Whoever exalts themselves will be humbled, and whoever humbles themselves will be exalted.
13 “Nangmi thumksinge ja Pharise he, hypocrite aw, nami jo se ve. Isetiüng ta, khyang hea maa Khankhaw Pe ksawh khai ve uki, nanimät pi käh lut u lü lut khaie pi nami jah mkhyawhki.
But alas for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You turn the key of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you do not go in yourselves, and do not allow those who try to go in to do so.
14 “Thum mtheie ja Pharise he, nangmi hypocrite aw, nami jo se ve. Isetiüng ta, hmeinue jah ei aw u lü ami im nami jah huteiki. Mkhyekatnak am a ngdangnak vaia, khawvei veia nami ktaiyüki. Acunakyase, ksehlen bawkia mkatnak nami khamei khai.
15 “Thum mtheie ja Pharise he, nangmi hypocrite aw, nami jo se ve. Isetiüng ta, Judahea jumeinak üng khyang matca a law vaia tuilawng khawkawng naküt lümkan lü nami cit hüki. Ngpyawt lawki pi namimäta kthaka anghngiha Mulai Pea nami cehsaki. (Geenna g1067)
Alas for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You scour land and sea to make a single convert, and, when they are gained, you make them twice as deserving of Gehenna as you are yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 “Khyang mikmüe aw! nami jo se ve, “Aupi Temple be lü ng’yünceki cun amdang ni, aupi Temple üngka xüi be lü ng’yünceki cun a pyena mäiha kyaki ni,” nami tiki.
Alas for you, you blind guides! You say “if any swear by the Temple, their oath counts for nothing; but, if anyone swears by the gold of the Temple, their oath is binding them”!
17 “Amikmü yawk’ange aw, i ja adaw bawk? Xüi mä a daw bawk? Xüi ngcimsakia Temple mä a daw bawk?
Fools that you are and blind! Which is the more important? The gold? Or the Temple which has given sacredness to the gold?
18 “Kpyawngkung be lü ng’yünceki cun amdang ni, kpyawngkunga khana peta petmsawt be lü ng’yünceki cun a pyena mäiha kyaki ni,” ti lü nami jah mtheiki.
You say, too, “If anyone swears by the altar, their oath counts for nothing, but, if anyone swears by the offering placed on it, their oath is binding on them”!
19 “Ihlawka nami mik müki ni, i ni a daw bawk? Petmsawt mä a daw bawk? Acuna petmsawt ngcimcaihsakia kpyawngkung mä a daw bawk?
Blind indeed! Which is the more important? The offering? Or the altar which gives sacredness to the offering?
20 “Acunakyase, kpyawngkung be lü ng’yünceki cun acuna kpyawngkung ja a khana vekia petmsawte, avan be lü ng’yünceki ni.
Therefore a person, swearing by the altar, swears by it and by all that is on it,
21 “Temple be lü ng’yünceki cun acuna Temple ja a khuia veki Pamhnam be lü ng’yünceki ni.
and a person, swearing by the Temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it,
22 “Khankhaw be lü ng’yünceki cun Pamhnama ngawhnak ja acunüng ngawki be lü ng’yünceki ni.
while a person, swearing by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it.
23 “Thum mtheie ja Pharise he, nangni hypocrite aw, nami jo se ve. Thingkthei yawpai ja tawikxüng ankseie xa üng mat nami peki. Acunsepi, aktung bawk thum üng jah läklam vai: ngsungpyunkia bilawhnak, mpyeneinak ja cingcainake jah hawihinkie. Ahin he cun käh jah hawih lü nami jah läklam vai.
Alas for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You pay tithes on mint, fennel, and caraway seed, and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law – justice, mercy, and good faith. These last you ought to have put into practice, without neglecting the first.
24 “Lam msümki khyang mikmüe aw, mkhoyang mat pi käh pa khaia tui mcim u lü sanghngüksaü nami mjaweiki.
You blind guides, to strain out a gnat and to swallow a camel!
25 “Thum mtheie ja Pharise he, nangni hypocrite aw! nami jo se ve. Isetiüng, khawt ja kbe a kpung nami mthiki, a k’uma hleihlaknak ja ngtawngeinak am beki ni.
Alas for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are filled with the results of greed and self-indulgence.
26 “Pharise mikmüe aw, khawt ja kbe a ngcim vaia a k’um mthi ma ua. Acunüng a kpung pi ngcim hnga khai ni.
You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.
27 “Thum mtheie ja Pharise he, nangni hypocrite aw, nami jo se ve. Isetiüng ta, nangmi cun ng'utnak lungdü akbawk, a kpunga angtoa ngdang lü a k’um yuhe ja yawk kthue am be lü mtüihkhehki am nami tängki.
Alas for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed look fair outside, while inside they are filled with dead people’s bones and all kinds of filth.
28 “Acukba nangmi pi akpunga khyang naküta veia ngsungpyunkia mäiha nami ngdangki, acunsepi nami mlung k’uma Pamhnam khut pawhkia nami ngsaihnak ja am dawkia ngaihnak mkhyekatnak beki.
It is the same with you. Outwardly, and to others, you have the look of religious people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and sin.
29 “Thum mtheie ja Pharise he, nangmi hypocrite aw, nami jo se ve. Isetiüng ta, sahma hea mkhya ime jah sa u lü akdawa xüng lü awmki hea phäh yepim nami saki.
Alas for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the monuments of religious people,
30 “Mi pupaea kcün üng, mi na ngtüi law hngaa ta, sahma he ami jah hnimnak üng am mi na bawibeng hnga khai sü,’ nami tiki.
and say “Had we been living in the days of our ancestors, we should have taken no part in their murder of the prophets!”
31 “Acunakyase, sahma hnimkia ksawna nami kya cun nami ksingki ni.
By doing this you are furnishing evidence against yourselves that you are true children of the people who murdered the prophets.
32 “Nami pupaea mkhyekat nami kpha vaia nangmi pi mkhyekat betü ua.
Go on then, finish what your ancestors began!
33 “Nangmi kphyue ja kphyua ca he aw, mulai nami cehnak vai üngka naw ihawkba nami lät thei khai ni? (Geenna g1067)
You snakes and children of snakes! How can you escape being sentenced to Gehenna? (Geenna g1067)
34 “Acunakyase, cangcim üng a na pyen khawi cun, ‘Sahmae, khyang ktheme ja, ngthungcim ksinge, ka ning jah tüih law pet khai. Avang nami ja hnim khai, avang kutlamktung üng nami jah taih khai, avang sinakok k’uma jah kpai u lü, mlüh mat üngka naw mlüh mata cit lü nami jah mkhuimkha khai.
That is why I send you prophets, wise people, and teachers of the Law, some of whom you will crucify and kill, and some of whom you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from town to town;
35 “Acunakyase, khyangdüng Abelaha thisen üng tün lü, Temple k'uma ja, Temple ja kpyawngkunga nglaka nami hnim Barakiha capa Zakhariha thisen cäp, ja khawmdek khana khyangsungpyune, ami jah hnim naküta thisen cun nami khana pha khai.
so that on your heads may fall every drop of innocent blood split on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel down to that of Zechariah, Barachiah’s son, whom you murdered between the Temple and the altar.
36 “Akcanga ka ning jah mthehki, khyang hnima phäh ksükcetnak avan cun tuh ka khyang hea khana pha law khai!
All this, I tell you, will come home to the present generation.
37 “Aw Jerusalem, Jerusalem, sahma he jah hnim lü na veia ami jah tüih law khyang he lung am na jah vawiki aw! Ainu naw, a ca he a ngphya keha a jah mkhäma kbaa, khawvei na canae jah mkhäm be vai ka ngaihki? Cunüngpi, acun am na jumki.
Jerusalem! Jerusalem! She who slays the prophets and stones the messengers sent to her – Oh, how often have I wished to gather your children round me, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not come!
38 “Acunakyase Na temple cun axawnga na veia ning hawih peta kya ve.
Verily, your house is left to you desolate!
39 “Ka ning jah mthehki, tuh üngkhyüh ‘Bawipa ngming üng lawki Pamhnam naw josennak be se’ am nami tia küt cäpa, ka hmai am na hmu ti uki,” a ti.
For nevermore, I tell you, will you see me, until you say – “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”’
