Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
Then Jesus addressed the crowds and His disciples.
2 Saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses.
"The Scribes," He said, "and the Pharisees sit in the chair of Moses.
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.
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 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.
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 And all their works they do for to be seen of men. For they make their phylacteries broad, and enlarge their fringes.
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 And they love the first places at feasts, and the first chairs in the synagogues,
and love the best seats at a dinner party or in the synagogues,
7 And salutations in the market place, and to be called by men, Rabbi.
and like to be bowed to in places of public resort, and to be addressed by men as 'Rabbi.'
8 But be not you called Rabbi. For one is your master; and all you are brethren.
"As for you, do not accept the title of 'Rabbi,' for one alone is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven.
And call no one on earth your Father, for One alone is your Father--the Heavenly Father.
10 Neither be ye called masters; for one is you master, Christ.
And do not accept the name of 'leader,' for your Leader is one alone--the Christ.
11 He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant.
He who is 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.
and one who exalts himself shall be abased, while one who abases himself shall 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.
"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.
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)
"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, 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.
"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 Ye foolish and blind; for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
"Blind fools! Why, which is greater? --the gold, or the Sanctuary which has made 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.
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 Ye blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
"You are blind! Why, which is greater? --the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy?
20 He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things that are upon it:
He who swears by the altar swears both by it and by everything on it;
21 And whosoever shall swear by temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it:
he who swears by the Sanctuary swears both by it and by Him 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 both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon 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.
"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 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.
You blind guides, straining out the gnat while you gulp down the 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.
"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 Thou blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside may become clean.
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, 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.
"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 So you also outwardly indeed appear to men just; but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
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, hypocrites; that build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the monuments of the just,
"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 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 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 Wherefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of them that killed the prophets.
"So that you bear witness against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the Prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure 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 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:
"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 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.
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 Amen I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation.
I tell you in solemn truth that all these things will come upon the present 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! 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 Behold, you house shall be left to you, desolate.
See, your house will now be 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 never see me again until you say, 'Blessed be He who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
