Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
2 “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat.
3 So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
Therefore observe and do all that they tell you to observe. But do not do what they do, for they say things and do not do them.
4 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.
They bind burdens that are heavy and hard to bear and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They do all their works to be seen by others. They make their phylacteries wide and the fringes of their garments long.
6 They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,
They love the place of honor at banquets, the best seats in the synagogues,
7 the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.
greetings in the marketplaces, and when others call them ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’
8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.
But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for there is one who is your instructor, the Christ, and you are all brothers.
9 And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
And do not call anyone on earth your father, for there is one who is your Father, he who is in heaven.
10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.
Neither are you to be called instructors, for there is one who is your instructor, the Christ.
11 The greatest among you shall be your servant.
But he who is greater among you must be your servant.
12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 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.
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive a more severe judgment.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut people out of the kingdom of heaven. You yourselves do not enter, nor do you let in those who are trying to enter.
15 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)
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and when he has become one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 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.’
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?
You fools and blind men! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
18 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.’
You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’
19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?
You fools and blind men! Which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
20 So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
Therefore, whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it.
And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it.
22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it.
And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.
23 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.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, yet you have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. These you ought to have practiced without neglecting the other things.
24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
You blind guides, who strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!
25 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.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but the inside is filled with the fruits of your robbery and unrighteousness.
26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.
Yoʋ blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside of them will also be clean.
27 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.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and all uncleanness.
28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
In the same way, you also appear righteous to others on the outside, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the graves of the righteous,
30 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.’
and you say, ‘If we had been alive in the days of our fathers, we would not have been participants with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
Therefore you bear witness against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers.
Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
You serpents, you brood of vipers! How will you escape being sentenced to hell? (Geenna g1067)
34 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.
Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets, sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town.
35 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.
As a result, all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth will come upon you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
36 Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
37 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!
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to yoʋ! How often I have wanted to gather yoʋr children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.
Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
39 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.’”
For I tell you, from now on you will certainly not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
