Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes, and to His disciples,
Then Jesus said to the people and to his disciples:
2 saying, “On the seat of Moses sat down the scribes and the Pharisees;
The scribes and the Pharisees have the authority of Moses;
3 all, then, as much as they may say to you to observe, observe and do, but according to their works do not do, for they say, and do not do;
All things, then, which they give you orders to do, these do and keep: but do not take their works as your example, for they say and do not.
4 for they bind together burdens [too] heavy and grievous to bear, and lay [them] on the shoulders of men, but with their finger they will not move them.
They make hard laws and put great weights on men's backs; but they themselves will not put a finger to them.
5 And all their works they do to be seen by men, and they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the fringes of their garments,
But all their works they do so as to be seen by men: for they make wide their phylacteries, and the edges of their robes,
6 they also cherish the first couches at the banquets, and the first seats in the synagogues,
And the things desired by them are the first places at feasts, and the chief seats in the Synagogues,
7 and the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
And words of respect in the market-places, and to be named by men, Teacher.
8 And you may not be called Rabbi, for one is your teacher—the Christ, and you are all brothers;
But you may not be named Teacher: for one is your teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 and you may not call [any] your father on the earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens,
And give no man the name of father on earth: because one is your Father, who is in heaven.
10 nor may you be called teachers, for one is your teacher—the Christ.
And you may not be named guides: because one is your Guide, even Christ.
11 And the greater of you will be your servant,
But let the greatest among you be your servant.
12 and whoever will exalt himself will be humbled, and whoever will humble himself will be exalted.
And whoever makes himself high will be made low, and whoever makes himself low will be made high.
13 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men, for you do not go in, nor do you permit those going in to enter.
But a curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! because you are shutting the kingdom of heaven against men: for you do not go in yourselves, and those who are going in, you keep back.
14 [[Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you eat up the houses of the widows, and for a pretense make long prayers, because of this you will receive more abundant judgment.]]
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you go around the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and whenever it may happen—you make him a son of Gehenna twofold more than yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you go about land and sea to get one disciple and, having him, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 Woe to you, blind guides, who are saying, Whoever may swear by the temple, it is nothing, but whoever may swear by the gold of the temple—is debtor!
A curse is on you, blind guides, who say, Whoever takes an oath by the Temple, it is nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the gold of the Temple, he is responsible.
17 Fools and blind! For which [is] greater, the gold, or the temple that is sanctifying the gold?
You foolish ones and blind: which is greater, the gold, or the Temple which makes the gold holy?
18 And, Whoever may swear by the altar, it is nothing, but whoever may swear by the gift that is on it—is debtor!
And, Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the offering which is on it, he is responsible.
19 Fools and blind! For which [is] greater, the gift, or the altar that is sanctifying the gift?
You blind ones: which is greater, the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy?
20 He therefore who swore by the altar, swears by it, and by all things on it;
He, then, who takes an oath by the altar, takes it by the altar and by all things on it.
21 and he who swore by the temple, swears by it, and by Him who is dwelling in it;
And he who takes an oath by the Temple, takes it by the Temple and by him whose house it is.
22 and he who swore by Heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by Him who is sitting on it.
And he who takes an oath by heaven, takes it by the seat of God, and by him who is seated on it.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and neglected the weightier things of the Law—judgment, and kindness, and faith; these it was necessary to do, and those not to neglect.
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you make men give a tenth of all sorts of sweet-smelling plants, but you give no thought to the more important things of the law, righteousness, and mercy, and faith; but it is right for you to do these, and not to let the others be undone.
24 Blind guides! Who are straining out the gnat, and are swallowing the camel.
You blind guides, who take out a fly from your drink, but make no trouble over a camel.
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you make clean the outside of the cup and the plate, and within they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of violent behaviour and uncontrolled desire.
26 Blind Pharisee! First cleanse the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside of them may also become clean.
You blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside may become equally clean.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you are like to whitewashed graves, which outwardly indeed appear beautiful, and within are full of bones of dead men, and of all uncleanness;
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you are like the resting-places of the dead, which are made white, and seem beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and of all unclean things.
28 so also you outwardly indeed appear to men righteous, and within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Even so you seem to men to be full of righteousness, but inside you are all false and full of wrongdoing.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the graves of the prophets, and adorn the tombs of the righteous,
A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! because you put up buildings for housing the dead bodies of the prophets, and make fair the last resting-places of good men, and say,
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.
If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 So that you testify to yourselves that you are sons of them who murdered the prophets;
So that you are witnesses against yourselves that you are the sons of those who put the prophets to death.
32 and you fill up the measure of your fathers.
Make full, then, the measure of your fathers.
You snakes, offspring of snakes, how will you be kept from the punishment of hell? (Geenna g1067)
34 Because of this, behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes, and of them you will kill and crucify, and of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and will pursue from city to city,
For this reason, I send you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them you will put to death and put on the cross, and to some of them you will give blows in your Synagogues, driving them from town to town;
35 that on you may come all the righteous blood being poured out on the earth from the blood of Abel the righteous, to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar:
So that on you may come all the blood of the upright on the earth, from the blood of upright Abel to the blood of Zachariah, son of Barachiah, whom you put to death between the Temple and the altar.
36 truly I say to you, all these things will come on this generation.
Truly I say to you, All these things will come on this generation.
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that are killing the prophets, and stoning those sent to you, how often I willed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her own chickens under the wings, and you did not will.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, putting to death the prophets, and stoning those who are sent to her! Again and again would I have taken your children to myself as a bird takes her young ones under her wings, and you would not!
38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate;
See, your house is made waste.
39 for I say to you, you may not see Me from now on, until you may say, Blessed [is] He who is coming in the Name of the LORD.”
For I say to you, You will not see me from this time till you say, A blessing on him who comes in the name of the Lord.
