Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:
Then Jesus addressed the crowds and His disciples.
2 “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
"The Scribes," He said, "and the Pharisees sit in 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 do and observe everything that they command you; but do not imitate their lives, for though they tell others what to do, they do not do it themselves.
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.
Heavy and cumbrous burdens they bind together and load men's shoulders with them, while as for themselves, not with one finger do they choose to lift them.
5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
And everything they do they do with a view to being observed by men; for they widen their phylacteries and make the tassels large,
6 They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,
and love the best seats at a dinner party or in the synagogues,
7 the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.
and like to be bowed to in places of public resort, and to be addressed by men as 'Rabbi.'
8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.
"As for you, do not accept the title of 'Rabbi,' for one alone is your Teacher, 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 call no one on earth your Father, for One alone is your Father--the Heavenly Father.
10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.
And do not accept the name of 'leader,' for your Leader is one alone--the Christ.
11 The greatest among you shall be your servant.
He who is the greatest among you shall be your servant;
12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
and one who exalts himself shall be abased, while one who abases himself shall 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, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you lock the door of the Kingdom of the Heavens against men; you yourselves do not enter, nor do you allow those to enter who are seeking to do so.
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, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you scour sea and land in order to win one convert--and when he is gained, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna 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.’
"Alas for you, you blind guides, who say, "'Whoever swears by the Sanctuary it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the Sanctuary, is bound by the oath.'
17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?
"Blind fools! Why, which is greater? --the gold, or the Sanctuary which has made the gold holy?
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.’
And you say, "'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the offering lying on it is bound by the oath.'
19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?
"You are blind! Why, which is greater? --the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy?
20 So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
He who swears by the altar swears both 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.
he who swears by the Sanctuary swears both 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 he who swears by Heaven swears both 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, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay the tithe on mint, dill, and cumin, while you have neglected the weightier requirements of the Law--just judgement, mercy, and faithful dealing. These things you ought to have done, and yet you ought not to have left the others undone.
24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
You blind guides, straining out the gnat while you gulp down the 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, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you wash clean the outside of the cup or dish, while within they are full 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.
Blind Pharisee, first wash clean the inside of the cup or dish, and then the outside will be clean also.
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, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are just like whitewashed sepulchres, the outside of which pleases the eye, though inside they are full of dead men's bones and of all that is unclean.
28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
The same is true of you: outwardly you seem to the human eye to be good and honest men, but, within, you are full of insincerity and disregard of God's Law.
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, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you repair the sepulchres of the Prophets and keep in order the tombs 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 your boast is, "'If we had lived in the time of our forefathers, we should not have been implicated with them in the murder of the Prophets.'
31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
"So that you bear witness against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the Prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers.
Fill up the measure of your forefathers' guilt.
O serpents, O vipers' brood, how are you to escape condemnation to Gehenna? (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.
"For this reason I am sending to you Prophets and wise men and Scribes. Some of them you will put to death--nay, crucify; some of them you will flog in your synagogues and chase 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.
that all the innocent blood shed upon earth may come on you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Berechiah whom you murdered between the Sanctuary and the altar.
36 Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
I tell you in solemn truth that all these things will come upon 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!
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! thou who murderest the Prophets and stonest those who have been sent to thee! how often have I desired to gather thy children to me, just as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not come!
38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.
See, your house will now be 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 that you will never see me again until you say, 'Blessed be He who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
