Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and his disciples:
Then Jeshu discoursed with the multitudes and with his disciples,
2 “The religious teachers and the Pharisees are responsible as interpreters of the law of Moses,
and said to them, Upon the chair of Musha sit the scribes and the Pharishee.
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.
Every thing, therefore, which they tell you to observe, observe and do; but after their practices do not act; for they say, and do not.
4 They tie up heavy burdens, and place them on people's shoulders, but they themselves don't lift a finger to help them.
And they bind heavy burdens, and lay them on the shoulders of men, but they with their fingers are not willing to touch 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.
And all their works they do that they may be seen of men; for they widen their tephillin, and lengthen the fringes of their waving vestments,
6 They love to have the places of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues.
and love the chief reclining-places at evening feasts, and the highest seats in synagogues,
7 They love to be greeted with respect in the market places, and for people to call them, ‘Rabbi.’
and the shaloma in public places, and to be called of men Râbi.
8 Don't let people call you ‘Rabbi.’ Only one is your Master Teacher, and you are all brothers.
But be you not called Râbi: for One is your Master; but all ye are brethren.
9 Don't call anyone by the title ‘Father’ here on earth. Only one is your Father, who is in heaven.
And call no man Abâ to you upon earth: for One is your Father, who is in heaven.
10 Don't let people call you ‘Teacher.’ Only one is your Teacher, the Messiah.
Neither be ye called Medabronee: for One is your Guide, -the Meshicha.
11 The greatest among you will be your servant.
But he who is great among you, let him be your servitor.
12 Those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great.
For whosoever will exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever will abase himself shall 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 Pharishee, hypocrites! because you hold the kingdom of heaven closed before the children of men; for you will not enter in yourselves, and them who are entering you will not permit to enter.
WOE to you, scribes and Pharishee, hypocrites! because you devour the houses of widows, with the pretext of prolonging your prayers; on account of which you shall receive the greater judgment.
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 Pharishee, hypocrites! because you go over sea and dry (land) to make one proselyte; and when you have done it, you make him doubly more a son of gihana than 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, ye blind guides, who say, That who sweareth by the temple, it is nothing; but if he swear by the gold which is in the temple, he is liable!
17 What is greater—the gold, or the Temple that makes the gold holy?
You senseless and blind! for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth 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 (that) whoever sweareth by the altar, it is nothing; but he swear by the oblation which is upon it, he is liable.
19 How blind you are! What is greater—the sacrifice, or the altar that makes the sacrifice holy?
You foolish and sightless! for which is greater, the oblation, or the altar that sanctifieth the oblation?
20 If you swear by the altar, you swear by it and by everything that's on it.
He therefore who sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things that are upon it.
21 If you swear by the Temple you swear by it and by the one who lives there.
And he who sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by whatever abideth in it.
22 If you swear by heaven you swear by the throne of God and the one who sits there.
And whosoever sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of Aloha, and by Him who sitteth thereon.
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, Pharishee, hypocrites! because you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and omit the more grave of the law, -justice, benignity, and faithfulness. For these you should have done, and those not omitted.
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 gnats and swallow camels.
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 Pharishee, hypocrites! who cleanse the outside of the cup and dish (which) within are full of rapine and injustice.
26 You blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside will also be clean.
Sightless Pharishee! cleanse first the inside of the cup and the dish, that their outside also may 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 Pharishee, hypocrites! for you are like whited sepulchres, which without appear beautiful, but within are full of the bones of the dead and all impurity.
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.
So you also from without appear to the sons of men as righteous, but within you are full of unrighteousness and hypocrisy.
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 Pharishee, hypocrites! because you rebuild the tombs of the prophets and beautify the sepulchres of the just; and say,
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.’
If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been with them partakers 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!
thus bearing witness against yourselves, that you are the sons of them who killed the prophets.
32 So get on with it—finish it all off using your forefathers' methods!
And you also, -complete the measure of your fathers.
33 You snakes, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of condemnation? (Geenna g1067)
Serpents, birth of vipers! how will you escape from the judgment of gihana? (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.
On this account, behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; (some) of these you shall kill and crucify; and (some) of these you shall scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them 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 there shall come upon you all the blood of the just which hath been shed upon the earth; from the blood of Habil the righteous, unto the blood of Zakaria-bar-Barakia, whom you slew between the temple and the altar.
36 I'm telling you, the consequences of all this will fall on this generation.
Amen I say unto you, that all these shall 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.
Urishlem, Urishlem! who killest the prophets, and stonest them who are sent unto her, what times would I have gathered thy children, as gathereth the hen her young ones beneath her wings, and you would not!
38 Now look—your house is left abandoned, totally empty.
Lo, your house is left unto you desolate.
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 unto you, That you shall not see me from henceforth, until you shall say, Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord.
