Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitude, and to his disciples,
Then Jesus, speaking to the crowds and to his disciples, said,
2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in the seat of Moses:
‘The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees now occupy the chair of Moses.
3 All therefore whatever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye according to their works: for they say, and do not.
Therefore practice and lay to heart everything that they preach but do not practice.
4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
While they make up heavy loads and pile them on other people’s shoulder’s they decline, themselves, to lift a finger to move them.
5 But all their works they do to be seen by men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
All their actions are done to attract attention. They widen their phylacteries, and increase the size of their tassels,
6 And love the uppermost places at feasts, and the best seats in the synagogues,
and like to have the place of honour at dinner, and the best seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
and to be greeted in the markets with respect, and to be called “Rabbi” by everybody.
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
But do not allow yourselves to be called “Rabbi,” for you have only one teacher, and you yourselves are all brothers and sisters.
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, who is in heaven.
And do not call anyone on the earth your “Father,” for your have only one Father, the heavenly Father.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
Nor must you allow yourselves to be called “leaders,” for you have only one leader, the Christ.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
The person who wants to be the greatest among you must be your servant.
12 And whoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Whoever exalts themselves will be humbled, and whoever humbles themselves will be exalted.
13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither allow ye them that are entering to go in.
But alas for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You turn the key of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you do not go in yourselves, and do not allow those who try to go in to do so.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye travel sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
Alas for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You scour land and sea to make a single convert, and, when they are gained, you make them twice as deserving of Gehenna as you are yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 Woe to you, ye blind guides, who say, Whoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
Alas for you, you blind guides! You say “if any swear by the Temple, their oath counts for nothing; but, if anyone swears by the gold of the Temple, their oath is binding them”!
17 Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
Fools that you are and blind! Which is the more important? The gold? Or the Temple which has given sacredness to the gold?
18 And, Whoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is bound.
You say, too, “If anyone swears by the altar, their oath counts for nothing, but, if anyone swears by the offering placed on it, their oath is binding on them”!
19 Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
Blind indeed! Which is the more important? The offering? Or the altar which gives sacredness to the offering?
20 Whoever therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things on it.
Therefore a person, swearing by the altar, swears by it and by all that is on it,
21 And whoever shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it.
and a person, swearing by the Temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it,
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth upon it.
while a person, swearing by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, justice, mercy, and faith: these ye ought to have done, and not to leave the others undone.
Alas for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You pay tithes on mint, fennel, and caraway seed, and have neglected the weightier matters of the Law – justice, mercy, and good faith. These last you ought to have put into practice, without neglecting the first.
24 Ye blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.
You blind guides, to strain out a gnat and to swallow a camel!
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Alas for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are filled with the results of greed and self-indulgence.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like whitewashed sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
Alas for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You are like whitewashed tombs, which indeed look fair outside, while inside they are filled with dead people’s bones and all kinds of filth.
28 Thus ye also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
It is the same with you. Outwardly, and to others, you have the look of religious people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and sin.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
Alas for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, hypocrites that you are! You build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the monuments of religious people,
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.
and say “Had we been living in the days of our ancestors, we should have taken no part in their murder of the prophets!”
31 Therefore ye are witnesses against yourselves, that ye are the children of them who killed the prophets.
By doing this you are furnishing evidence against yourselves that you are true children of the people who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
Go on then, finish what your ancestors began!
You snakes and children of snakes! How can you escape being sentenced to Gehenna? (Geenna g1067)
34 Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them ye shall scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
That is why I send you prophets, wise people, and teachers of the Law, some of whom you will crucify and kill, and some of whom you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from town to town;
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
so that on your heads may fall every drop of innocent blood split on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel down to that of Zechariah, Barachiah’s son, whom you murdered between the Temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say to you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
All this, I tell you, will come home to the present generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them who are sent to thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Jerusalem! Jerusalem! She who slays the prophets and stones the messengers sent to her – Oh, how often have I wished to gather your children round me, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not come!
38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
Verily, your house is left to you desolate!
39 For I say to you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
For nevermore, I tell you, will you see me, until you say – “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”’
