Matthew 23
1 Then, Jesus spake unto the multitudes and unto his disciples,
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
2 saying—Upon Moses’ seat, have sat down, the Scribes and the Pharisees:
saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.
3 All things, therefore, whatsoever they tell you, do and observe, —but, according to their works, do ye not, for they, say, and do not, perform.
All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t do.
4 But they bind together heavy burdens, and lay upon men’s shoulders, whereas, they, with their finger, are not willing to move them.
For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
5 But, all their works, they do, to be gazed at, by men, —for they make broad their amulets, and make large their fringes,
But they do all their works to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the fringes of their garments,
6 And dearly love the first couch in the chief meals, and the first seats in the synagogues,
and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
7 And the salutations in the market-places, and to be called by men, Rabbi.
the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.
8 But, ye, —do not be called Rabbi, —for, one, is your Teacher, and, all ye, are brethren;
But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.
9 And, father, be none of you called, upon the earth, for, one, is your Father, the Heavenly;
Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
10 Neither be called leaders, for, your leader, is one, the Christ;
Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
11 And, the greatest of you, shall be to you, a minister;
But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
12 And, whoever shall exalt himself, shall be, abased, and, whoever shall abase himself, shall be, exalted,
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 But alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because ye are locking up the kingdom of the heavens before men, —for, ye, are not entering, neither, them who are entering, suffer ye to enter.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.
15 Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because ye compass sea and dry land, to make one convert—and, when it is done, ye make him a son of gehenna, twofold more than ye. (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 a son of Gehenna as yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 Alas for you, blind guides! that say—Whosoever shall swear by the Temple, it is, nothing, but, whosoever shall swear by the gold of the Temple, is bound:
“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 Foolish and blind! for which is, greater, The gold, or the Temple that hath hallowed the gold?
You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18 And, whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is, nothing, but, whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, is bound:
And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated.’
19 Blind! for which is greater, The gift, or the altar that halloweth the gift?
You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20 He therefore that hath sworn by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all that is upon it;
He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it.
21 And, he that hath sworn by the Temple, sweareth by it, and by him who dwelleth therein;
He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who has been living in it.
22 And, he that hath sworn by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him who sitteth thereupon.
He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it.
23 Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because ye tithe the mint and the anise and the cummin, —and have dismissed the weightier matters of the law—the justice, the mercy, and the faith; whereas, these, it was binding, to do, and, those, not to, dismiss.
“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 Blind guides! Straining out the gnat, but, the camel, swallowing.
You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!
25 Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, —while, within, they are full of plunder and intemperance.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.
26 Blind Pharisee! cleanse, first, the inside, of the cup [and of the dish], that, the outside thereof, may become, clean.
You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also.
27 Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because ye make yourselves like sepulchres whitewashed, which, outside, indeed, appear, beautiful, but, within, are full, of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness, —
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness.
28 Thus, ye also, outside, indeed, appear to men, righteous, but, within, are full, of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous,
30 and say—If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been their partners in the blood of the prophets:
and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
31 So that ye bear witness against yourselves, that ye are, sons, of them who murdered the prophets.
Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.
32 And, ye, fill ye up the measure of your fathers!
Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna? (Geenna g1067)
34 For this cause, lo! I, send unto you, prophets and wise men and scribes, —some from among them, ye will slay and crucify, And some from among them ye will—scourge in your synagogues, and pursue from city to city:
Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, 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 That there may come upon you—all righteous blood poured out upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous, unto the blood of Zachariah, son of Barachiah, whom ye murdered between the Temple and the altar.
that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.
36 Verily, I say unto you—All these things, will have come, upon this generation.
Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
37 Jerusalem! Jerusalem! that slayeth the prophets, and stoneth them that have been sent unto her, —how often, would I have gathered thy children, like as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, —and ye would not!
“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 Lo! your house is left to you;
Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
39 For I say unto you—in no wise, may ye see me, henceforth, until ye say, Blessed, is he that cometh, 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!’”
