Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:
Then Jesus speaking to the crowds and to his disciples, said:
2 “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
“The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees now occupy the chair of Moses.
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 practice and lay to heart everything that they tell preach but do not practice.
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.
While they make up heavy loads and pile them on other men’s shoulder’s they decline, themselves, 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.
All their actions are done to attract attention. They widen their phylacteries, and increase the size of their tassels,
6 They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,
and like to have the place of honour at dinner, and the best seats in the Synagogues,
7 the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.
and to be greeted in the markets with respect, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ for everybody.
8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.
But do not allow yourselves to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Teacher, and you yourselves 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 any one on the earth your ‘Father,’ for your have only one Father, the heavenly Father.
10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.
Nor must you allow yourselves to be called ‘Leaders,’ for you have only one Leader, the Christ.
11 The greatest among you shall be your servant.
The man who would be the greatest among you must be your servant.
12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Whoever shall exalt himself will be humbled, and whoever shall humble 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 alas for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You turn the key of the Kingdom of Heaven in men’s faces. For you do not go in yourselves, nor yet allow those who try to go in to do so.
Alas for you, Teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You destroy widow’s houses, even while pretending to make long prayers; therefore you shall receive greater condemnation.
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)
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 he is gained, you make him twice as deserving of the Pit as you are 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.’
Alas for you, you blind guides! You say ‘if any answer by the Temple, his oath counts for nothing; but, if any one swears by the gold of the Temple, his oath is binding him’!
17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?
Fools that you are and blind! Which is the more important? The gold? Or the Temple which has given sacredness to the gold?
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 say, too, ‘If any one swears by the altar, his oath counts for nothing, but, if any one swears by the offering placed on it, his oath is binding on him’!
19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?
Blind indeed! Which is the more important? The offering? or the altar which gives sacredness to the offering?
20 So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
Therefore a man, swearing by the altar, swears by it and by all that is on it,
21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it.
and a man, swearing 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.
while a man, swearing 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.
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 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
You blind guides, to strain out a gnat and to 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.
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 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.
You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.
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.
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 men’s bones and all kinds of filth.
28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
It is the same with you. Outwardly, and to others, you have the look of religious men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and sin.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.
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 men,
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 say ‘Had we been living in the days of our ancestors, we should have taken part in their murder of the Prophets!
31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
By doing this you are furnishing evidence against yourselves that you are true children of the men who murdered the Prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers.
Fill up the measure of your ancestor’s guilt.
You serpents and brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to the Pit? (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.
That is why I send you Prophets, wise men, 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 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.
in order that upon 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 Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
All this, I tell you, will come home to the present 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!
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 Look, your house is left to you desolate.
Verily, 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 nevermore, I tell you, shall you see me, until you say — ‘Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!’”
