Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes, and to his disciples,
Then Jesus said to the people and to his disciples:
2 saying: The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat:
The scribes and the Pharisees have the authority of Moses;
3 therefore, all things that they command you to observe, observe and do. But do not according to their works: for they command, and do not.
All things, then, which they give you orders to do, these do and keep: but do not take their works as your example, for they say and do not.
4 For they bind up burdens that are heavy and hard to be borne, and lay them on the shoulders of men; but they refuse to move them with one of their fingers.
They make hard laws and put great weights on men's backs; but they themselves will not put a finger to them.
5 And they do all their works for the purpose of being seen by men. They make their amulets broad, and enlarge the fringes of their mantles.
But all their works they do so as to be seen by men: for they make wide their phylacteries, and the edges of their robes,
6 They also love the most honorable places at suppers, and the first seats in the synagogues,
And the things desired by them are the first places at feasts, and the chief seats in the Synagogues,
7 and salutations in the markets, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
And words of respect in the market-places, and to be named by men, Teacher.
8 But you must not be called Rabbi; for one is your leader, and all of you are brethren.
But you may not be named Teacher: for one is your teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And call no man on earth your father; for one is your Father, who is in heaven.
And give no man the name of father on earth: because one is your Father, who is in heaven.
10 And be not called leaders; for one is your leader, the Christ.
And you may not be named guides: because one is your Guide, even Christ.
11 And the greatest among you shall be your minister.
But let the greatest among you be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
And whoever makes himself high will be made low, and whoever makes himself low will be made high.
13 But alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you eat up the houses of widows, and for a pretext make long prayers. For this reason, you shall receive the greater condemnation.
But a curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! because you are shutting the kingdom of heaven against men: for you do not go in yourselves, and those who are going in, you keep back.
14 Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you close the kingdom of heaven in the face of men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you suffer those who are entering, to go in.
15 Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you traverse sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him twofold more a child of hell than yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you go about land and sea to get one disciple and, having him, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 Alas for you, blind guides! who say, Whoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, becomes a debtor.
A curse is on you, blind guides, who say, Whoever takes an oath by the Temple, it is nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the gold of the Temple, he is responsible.
17 Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
You foolish ones and blind: which is greater, the gold, or the Temple which makes the gold holy?
18 And, Whoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever shall swear by the gift that is on it, becomes a debtor.
And, Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the offering which is on it, he is responsible.
19 Fools and blind! for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
You blind ones: which is greater, the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy?
20 Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears by it, and by all that is on it.
He, then, who takes an oath by the altar, takes it by the altar and by all things on it.
21 And whoever swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him that dwells in it.
And he who takes an oath by the Temple, takes it by the Temple and by him whose house it is.
22 And he that swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him that sits upon it.
And he who takes an oath by heaven, takes it by the seat of God, and by him who is seated on it.
23 Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, its justice, its mercy, and its faithfulness. These you ought to have done, and those you ought not to have neglected.
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you make men give a tenth of all sorts of sweet-smelling plants, but you give no thought to the more important things of the law, righteousness, and mercy, and faith; but it is right for you to do these, and not to let the others be undone.
24 Blind guides! who strain out a gnat, but swallow a camel.
You blind guides, who take out a fly from your drink, but make no trouble over a camel.
25 Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you make clean the outside of the cup and the plate; but within they are full of rapine and excess.
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of violent behaviour and uncontrolled desire.
26 Blind Pharisee! first make clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside of them also may be clean.
You blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside may become equally clean.
27 Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitened sepulchers, which without appear beautiful, but within are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you are like the resting-places of the dead, which are made white, and seem beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and of all unclean things.
28 So also you outwardly appear to men to be just, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Even so you seem to men to be full of righteousness, but inside you are all false and full of wrongdoing.
29 Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you build the tombs of the prophets, and adorn the sepulchers of the righteous,
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! because you put up buildings for housing the dead bodies of the prophets, and make fair the last resting-places of good men, and say,
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.
If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 So then you testify against yourselves, that you are the sons of those who killed the prophets.
So that you are witnesses against yourselves that you are the sons of those who put the prophets to death.
32 Do you also fill up the measure of your fathers.
Make full, then, the measure of your fathers.
You snakes, offspring of snakes, how will you be kept from the punishment of hell? (Geenna g1067)
34 For this reason, behold, I send you prophets and wise men and scribes; and some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city;
For this reason, I send you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them you will put to death and put on the cross, and to some of them you will give blows in your Synagogues, driving them from town to town;
35 that upon you may come all the righteous blood which has been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just to the blood of Zachariah, the son of Barachiah, whom you slew between the temple and the altar.
So that on you may come all the blood of the upright on the earth, from the blood of upright Abel to the blood of Zachariah, son of Barachiah, whom you put to death between the Temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say to you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
Truly I say to you, All these things will come on this generation.
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest those who are sent to thee, how often have I desired to gather thy children together, as a bird gathers her young under her wings, and you refused.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, putting to death the prophets, and stoning those who are sent to her! Again and again would I have taken your children to myself as a bird takes her young ones under her wings, and you would not!
38 Behold, your house is left to you deserted.
See, your house is made waste.
39 For I say to you, That you shall not see me henceforth, till you shall say, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.
For I say to you, You will not see me from this time till you say, A blessing on him who comes in the name of the Lord.
