Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and his disciples:
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples
2 “The religious teachers and the Pharisees are responsible as interpreters of the law of Moses,
saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees are seated upon Moses' chair;
3 so obey them and do everything they tell you. But don't follow what they do, because they don't practice what they preach.
so whatever they may tell you to observe, you should observe and do; but do not do according to their deeds, for they say and do not do.
4 They tie up heavy burdens, and place them on people's shoulders, but they themselves don't lift a finger to help them.
For they package loads that are heavy and hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of the people; but they themselves do not want to move them with one of their fingers.
5 Everything they do is to make sure they get noticed. They make themselves large prayer boxes to wear and long tassels on their clothes.
“Rather, they do all their works in order to be seen by people. They make their phylacteries broad and the tassels on their garments large;
6 They love to have the places of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues.
they love the place of honor at dinners and the first seats in the synagogues,
7 They love to be greeted with respect in the market places, and for people to call them, ‘Rabbi.’
and the greetings in the marketplaces, namely to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by the people.
8 Don't let people call you ‘Rabbi.’ Only one is your Master Teacher, and you are all brothers.
“But you (pl.), do not be called ‘Rabbi’; because your Teacher is one, the Christ, and you are all brothers.
9 Don't call anyone by the title ‘Father’ here on earth. Only one is your Father, who is in heaven.
And do not call anyone on earth your ‘father’; because your Father is one, He who is in the heavens.
10 Don't let people call you ‘Teacher.’ Only one is your Teacher, the Messiah.
Neither be called leaders/guides; because your Leader is one, the Christ.
11 The greatest among you will be your servant.
On the contrary, the greatest among you must be your servant.
12 Those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great.
And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 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.
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you devour the houses of the widows, while making long prayers as a pretense. Therefore you will receive a greater condemnation.
Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you bar the entrance to the kingdom of the heavens in the face of the people; for you neither go in yourselves nor do you allow those who are trying to enter to go in.
15 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)
Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!! Because you travel all over, land and sea, to make one convert, and when he joins up you make him twice as much a son of Hell as yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 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!
“Woe to you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’
17 What is greater—the gold, or the Temple that makes the gold holy?
Stupid and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18 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.’
And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it is obligated.’
19 How blind you are! What is greater—the sacrifice, or the altar that makes the sacrifice holy?
Stupid and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20 If you swear by the altar, you swear by it and by everything that's on it.
Therefore he who swears by the altar swears by it and by all the things on it.
21 If you swear by the Temple you swear by it and by the one who lives there.
And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by Him who used to dwell in it.
22 If you swear by heaven you swear by the throne of God and the one who sits there.
And he who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
23 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.
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you pay a tithe of mint and dill and cummin, but have neglected the weightier items of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These it was obligatory to do, while not neglecting those.
24 You blind guides—you strain what you drink to keep out a fly but then you swallow a camel!
Blind guides, who strain out a gnat but gulp down a camel!
25 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.
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of plunder and injustice.
26 You blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside will also be clean.
Blind Pharisee! First cleanse the inside of the cup and the dish, so that their outside may also be clean.
27 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.
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!! Because you resemble whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly but inside are full of dead bones and of all uncleanness.
28 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.
Just so, you also outwardly appear to be righteous to the people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 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,
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous;
30 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.’
yet you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
31 But by saying this you testify against yourselves, proving that you belong to those who murdered the prophets!
Therefore you testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32 So get on with it—finish it all off using your forefathers' methods!
So fill up the measure of your fathers' guilt!
33 You snakes, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of condemnation? (Geenna g1067)
“Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape from the condemnation of Hell? (Geenna g1067)
34 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.
So take note: I will send you prophets and wise men and Biblical scholars; some of them you will kill, even crucify; some of them you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from city to city
35 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.
—so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel up to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
36 I'm telling you, the consequences of all this will fall on this generation.
Assuredly I say to you that all these things will come upon this generation.
37 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.
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, she who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children, just like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you did not want to.
38 Now look—your house is left abandoned, totally empty.
Look, your house is left to you abandoned!
39 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.’”
For I say to you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’!”
