Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:
2 Saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses.
“The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
3 All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not; for they say, and do not.
So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
4 For they bind heavy and insupportable burdens, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but with a finger of their own they will not move them.
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.
5 And all their works they do for to be seen of men. For they make their phylacteries broad, and enlarge their fringes.
All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
6 And they love the first places at feasts, and the first chairs in the synagogues,
They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 And salutations in the market place, and to be called by men, Rabbi.
the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.
8 But be not you called Rabbi. For one is your master; and all you are brethren.
But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven.
And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters; for one is you master, Christ.
Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.
11 He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant.
The greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 But woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men, for you yourselves do not enter in; and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter.
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.
14 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because you devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. For this you shall receive the greater judgment.
15 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
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)
16 Woe to you blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but he that shall swear by the gold of the temple, is a debtor.
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.’
17 Ye foolish and blind; for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?
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.
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.’
19 Ye blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?
20 He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things that are upon it:
So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
21 And whosoever shall swear by temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it:
And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it.
22 And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it.
23 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you tithe mint, and anise, and cummin, and have left the weightier things of the law; judgment, and mercy, and faith. These things you ought to have done, and not to leave those undone.
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.
24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.
You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within you are full of rapine and uncleanness.
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.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside may become clean.
Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.
27 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you are like to whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful, but within are full of dead men’s bones, and of all filthiness.
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.
28 So you also outwardly indeed appear to men just; but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; that build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the monuments of the just,
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.
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.
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.’
31 Wherefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of them that killed the prophets.
So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers.
You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell? (Geenna g1067)
34 Therefore behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you will put to death and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city:
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.
35 That upon you may come all the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.
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.
36 Amen I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation.
Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest not?
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!
38 Behold, you house shall be left to you, desolate.
Look, your house is left to you desolate.
39 For I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth till you say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
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.’”
