Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and his disciples:
Then Yeshua spoke to the crowds and to his talmidim,
2 “The religious teachers and the Pharisees are responsible as interpreters of the law of Moses,
saying, "Upon the seat of Moses the Pharisees and scribes sit.
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.
All which they will say unto you, observe and do; but their works do not do, because 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 bind heavy and hard to bear burdens, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
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.
But all their works they do to be seen by others. They make their tefillin broad and enlarge the fringe of their garments,
6 They love to have the places of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues.
and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
7 They love to be greeted with respect in the market places, and for people to call them, ‘Rabbi.’
the greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi' by people.
8 Don't let people call you ‘Rabbi.’ Only one is your Master Teacher, and you are all brothers.
But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for one is your Teacher, and all of you are brothers.
9 Don't call anyone by the title ‘Father’ here on earth. Only one is your Father, who is in heaven.
Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
10 Don't let people call you ‘Teacher.’ Only one is your Teacher, the Messiah.
Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Messiah.
11 The greatest among you will be your servant.
But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
12 Those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great.
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.
"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you devour the houses of widows, and for show make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you shut up the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.
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. For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much of 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, you blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.'
17 What is greater—the gold, or the Temple that makes the gold holy?
You blind fools. For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctified 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.’
'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated?'
19 How blind you are! What is greater—the sacrifice, or the altar that makes the sacrifice holy?
You blind people. 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.
He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it.
21 If you swear by the Temple you swear by it and by the one who lives there.
He who swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him who dwells in it.
22 If you swear by heaven you swear by the throne of God and the one who sits there.
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. For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
24 You blind guides—you strain what you drink to keep out a fly but then you swallow a camel!
You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow 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. For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but within they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
26 You blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside will also be clean.
You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside may become clean also.
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. For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead people's 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.
Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
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. For you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs 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.’
and 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 to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.
32 So get on with it—finish it all off using your forefathers' methods!
Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
33 You snakes, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of condemnation? (Geenna g1067)
You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehinnom? (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.
Therefore, look, I send to you prophets, wise people, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge 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.
that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Hevel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.
36 I'm telling you, the consequences of all this will fall on this generation.
Truly I tell you, 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, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her. How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not.
38 Now look—your house is left abandoned, totally empty.
Look, your house is abandoned to you.
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 tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
