Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,
Then Jesus addressed the people and his disciples,
2 saying, "Upon the seat of Moses the Pharisees and scribes sit.
saying, The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' chair;
3 All which they will say unto you, observe and do; but their works do not do, because they say, and do not do.
therefore observe and do whatsoever they enjoin you; nevertheless, follow not their example; for they say and do not.
4 For they bind heavy and hard to bear burdens, and lay them on people's shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
Heavy and intolerable burdens they prepare for other men's shoulders, burdens to which they themselves will not put a finger.
5 But all their works they do to be seen by others. They make their tefillin broad and enlarge the fringe of their garments,
But whatever they do they do to be observed by men. For this they wear broader phylacteries than others, and larger tufts on their mantles;
6 and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
and love the uppermost places at entertainments, and the principal seats in the synagogues,
7 the greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi' by people.
and salutations in public places; and to hear men addressing them, cry, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for one is your Teacher, and all of you are brothers.
But as for you, assume not the title of Rabbi; for you have only one teacher;
9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
and style no man on earth your father, for he alone is your Father, who is in heaven; and all you are brothers.
10 Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
Neither assume the title of leaders, for you have only one leader--who is the Messiah.
11 But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
The greatest of you, on the contrary, shall be your servant;
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
for whosoever will exalt himself, shall be humbled; and whosoever will humble himself, shall be exalted.
13 "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.
But alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees! hypocrites! because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men; and will neither enter yourselves, nor permit others that would, to enter.
14 "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.
Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees! hypocrite! because you devour the families of widows; and use long prayers for a disguise. This will but aggravate your punishment.
15 "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)
Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees! hypocrites! because you traverse sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is gained, you make him a son of hell doubly more than yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 "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.'
Alas for you, blind guides, who say, To swear by the temple binds not, but swear by the gold of the temple is binding.
17 You blind fools. For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctified the gold?
Foolish and blind! which is more sacred, the gold, or the temple that consecrates the gold?
18 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated?'
and, to swear by the altar, binds not, but to swear by the offering that is upon it is binding.
19 You blind people. For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
Foolish and blind! which is more sacred, the offering, or the altar that consecrates the offering?
20 He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it.
Whoever, therefore, swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it.
21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it, and by him who dwells in it.
And whoever swears by the temple, swears by it, and by Him who dwells in it;
22 He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it.
and whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by Him who sits on it.
23 "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.
Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees! hypocrites! because you pay the tithe of mint, dill, and cummin, and omit the more important articles of the law, justice, humanity, and fidelity. These you ought to have practiced without omitting those.
24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Blind guides! you are skimming off the gnat, and swallowing the camel.
25 "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.
Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees! hypocrites! because you cleanse the outside of those cups and platters, which within are laid with rapine and iniquity.
26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside may become clean also.
Blind Pharisee! begin with cleansing the inside of the cup, and of the platter, if you would make even the outside clean.
27 "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.
Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees! hypocrites! because you resemble whitened sepulchers, which without indeed, are beautiful, but within are full of corruption, and of dead men's bones.
28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Thus you outwardly appear righteous to men; but are inwardly fraught with subtlety and injustice.
29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous,
Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees! hypocrites! because you build the sepulchers of the prophets, and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
30 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.'
and say, Had we lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been their accomplices in the slaughter of the prophets.
31 Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.
Thus you testify against yourself, that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
Fill you up, then, the measure of your fathers.
Ah! serpents, offspring of vipers! how can you escape the punishment of hell? (Geenna g1067)
34 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;
Therefore, I send you prophets, and wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will scourge in your synagogues, and banish from city to city;
35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.
so that all the innocent blood shed upon the earth shall be charged upon you, from the blood of righteous Abel, to the blood of Zachariah, son of Barachiah, whom you slew between the altar and the sanctuary.
36 Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Indeed, I say to you, all shall be charged upon this generation.
37 "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.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! who killest the prophets, and stonest them whom God sends to you, how often would I have gathered your children together, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you would not!
38 Look, your house is abandoned to you.
Soon shall your habitation be turned into a desert;
39 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.'"
for know, that you shall not henceforth see me, until you say, Blessed be He, who comes in the name of the Lord.
