Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and his disciples:
2 saying, The scribes and the Pharisees have set themselves down in Moses' seat:
“The religious teachers and the Pharisees are responsible as interpreters of the law of Moses,
3 all things therefore, whatever they may tell you, do and keep. But do not after their works, for they say and do not,
so obey them and do everything they tell you. But don't follow what they do, because they don't practice what they preach.
4 but bind burdens heavy and hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of men, but will not move them with their finger.
They tie up heavy burdens, and place them on people's shoulders, but they themselves don't lift a finger to help them.
5 And all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders [of their garments],
Everything they do is to make sure they get noticed. They make themselves large prayer boxes to wear and long tassels on their clothes.
6 and love the chief place in feasts and the first seats in the synagogues,
They love to have the places of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues.
7 and salutations in the market-places, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
They love to be greeted with respect in the market places, and for people to call them, ‘Rabbi.’
8 But ye, be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your instructor, and all ye are brethren.
Don't let people call you ‘Rabbi.’ Only one is your Master Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And call not [any one] your father upon the earth; for one is your Father, he who is in the heavens.
Don't call anyone by the title ‘Father’ here on earth. Only one is your Father, who is in heaven.
10 Neither be called instructors, for one is your instructor, the Christ.
Don't let people call you ‘Teacher.’ Only one is your Teacher, the Messiah.
11 But the greatest of you shall be your servant.
The greatest among you will be your servant.
12 And whoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great.
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men; for ye do not enter, nor do ye suffer those that are entering to go in.
But what a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You slam shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves don't go in, yet you don't let anyone in who is trying to enter.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye compass the sea and the dry [land] to make one proselyte, and when he is become [such], ye make him twofold more [the] son of hell than yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you travel over land and sea to make a single convert, and when you do, you make him twice a son of darkness as you are yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor.
What a disaster is coming on those of you who say, ‘If you swear by the Temple that doesn't count, but if you swear by the gold of the Temple, then you have to keep your oath.’ How foolish and blind you are!
17 Fools and blind, for which is greater, the gold, or the temple which sanctifies the gold?
What is greater—the gold, or the Temple that makes the gold holy?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor.
You say, ‘If you swear on the altar that doesn't count, but if you swear on the sacrifice that's on the altar, then you have to keep your oath.’
19 [Fools and] blind ones, for which is greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifies the gift?
How blind you are! What is greater—the sacrifice, or the altar that makes the sacrifice holy?
20 He therefore that swears by the altar swears by it and by all things that are upon it.
If you swear by the altar, you swear by it and by everything that's on it.
21 And he that swears by the temple swears by it and by him that dwells in it.
If you swear by the Temple you swear by it and by the one who lives there.
22 And he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him that sits upon it.
If you swear by heaven you swear by the throne of God and the one who sits there.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye pay tithes of mint and anise and cummin, and ye have left aside the weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy and faith: these ye ought to have done and not have left those aside.
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay a tithe of mint, aniseed, and cumin, but you neglect the vital aspects of the law—doing good, showing mercy, exercising trust. Yes, you should pay your tithe, but don't forget these other things.
24 Blind guides, who strain out the gnat, but drink down the camel.
You blind guides—you strain what you drink to keep out a fly but then you swallow a camel!
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within they are full of rapine and intemperance.
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you're full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 Blind Pharisee, make clean first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that their outside also may become clean.
You blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside will also be clean.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye are like whited sepulchres, which appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like white-washed tombs, looking good on the outside, but on the inside full of skeletons and all kinds of rottenness.
28 Thus also ye, outwardly ye appear righteous to men, but within are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
You're just the same. On the outside you look like good people to others, but on the inside you're full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets and adorn the tombs of the just,
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs as memorials to the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the good,
30 and ye 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.
and you say, ‘If we had lived in the times of our ancestors we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
31 So that ye bear witness of yourselves that ye are sons of those who slew the prophets:
But by saying this you testify against yourselves, proving that you belong to those who murdered the prophets!
32 and ye, fill ye up the measure of your fathers.
So get on with it—finish it all off using your forefathers' methods!
You snakes, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of condemnation? (Geenna g1067)
34 Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and [some] of them ye will kill and crucify, and [some] of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and will persecute from city to city;
That's why I'm sending you prophets, wise men, and teachers. Some of them you will kill, some of them you will crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues, hunting them from town to town.
35 so that all righteous blood shed upon the earth should come upon you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
As a result, you will be held accountable for the blood of all the good people that has been poured out on the land—from the blood of Abel, who did what was right, to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the Temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
I'm telling you, the consequences of all this will fall on this generation.
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [the city] that kills the prophets and stones those that are sent unto her, how often would I have gathered thy children as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! So often I wanted to gather your children as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings—but you wouldn't let me.
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate;
Now look—your house is left abandoned, totally empty.
39 for I say unto you, Ye shall in no wise see me henceforth until ye say, Blessed [be] he that comes in the name of [the] Lord.
I tell you this: you won't see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
