Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus addressed the crowds and His disciples.
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples
2 "The Scribes," He said, "and the Pharisees sit in the chair of Moses.
saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees are seated upon Moses' chair;
3 Therefore do and observe everything that they command you; but do not imitate their lives, for though they tell others what to do, they do not do it themselves.
so whatever they may tell you to observe, you should observe and do; but do not do according to their deeds, for they say and do not do.
4 Heavy and cumbrous burdens they bind together and load men's shoulders with them, while as for themselves, not with one finger do they choose to lift them.
For they package loads that are heavy and hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of the people; but they themselves do not want to move them with one of their fingers.
5 And everything they do they do with a view to being observed by men; for they widen their phylacteries and make the tassels large,
“Rather, they do all their works in order to be seen by people. They make their phylacteries broad and the tassels on their garments large;
6 and love the best seats at a dinner party or in the synagogues,
they love the place of honor at dinners and the first seats in the synagogues,
7 and like to be bowed to in places of public resort, and to be addressed by men as 'Rabbi.'
and the greetings in the marketplaces, namely to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by the people.
8 "As for you, do not accept the title of 'Rabbi,' for one alone is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
“But you (pl.), do not be called ‘Rabbi’; because your Teacher is one, the Christ, and you are all brothers.
9 And call no one on earth your Father, for One alone is your Father--the Heavenly Father.
And do not call anyone on earth your ‘father’; because your Father is one, He who is in the heavens.
10 And do not accept the name of 'leader,' for your Leader is one alone--the Christ.
Neither be called leaders/guides; because your Leader is one, the Christ.
11 He who is the greatest among you shall be your servant;
On the contrary, the greatest among you must be your servant.
12 and one who exalts himself shall be abased, while one who abases himself shall be exalted.
And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 "But alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you lock the door of the Kingdom of the Heavens against men; you yourselves do not enter, nor do you allow those to enter who are seeking to do so.
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you devour the houses of the widows, while making long prayers as a pretense. Therefore you will receive a greater condemnation.
Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you bar the entrance to the kingdom of the heavens in the face of the people; for you neither go in yourselves nor do you allow those who are trying to enter to go in.
15 "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you scour sea and land in order to win one convert--and when he is gained, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!! Because you travel all over, land and sea, to make one convert, and when he joins up you make him twice as much a son of Hell as yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 "Alas for you, you blind guides, who say, "'Whoever swears by the Sanctuary it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the Sanctuary, is bound by the oath.'
“Woe to you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’
17 "Blind fools! Why, which is greater? --the gold, or the Sanctuary which has made the gold holy?
Stupid and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18 And you say, "'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the offering lying on it is bound by the oath.'
And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it is obligated.’
19 "You are blind! Why, which is greater? --the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy?
Stupid and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20 He who swears by the altar swears both by it and by everything on it;
Therefore he who swears by the altar swears by it and by all the things on it.
21 he who swears by the Sanctuary swears both by it and by Him who dwells in it;
And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by Him who used to dwell in it.
22 and he who swears by Heaven swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
And 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, for you pay the tithe on mint, dill, and cumin, while you have neglected the weightier requirements of the Law--just judgement, mercy, and faithful dealing. These things you ought to have done, and yet you ought not to have left the others undone.
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you pay a tithe of mint and dill and cummin, but have neglected the weightier items of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These it was obligatory to do, while not neglecting those.
24 You blind guides, straining out the gnat while you gulp down the camel!
Blind guides, who strain out a gnat but gulp down a camel!
25 "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you wash clean the outside of the cup or dish, while within they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of plunder and injustice.
26 Blind Pharisee, first wash clean the inside of the cup or dish, and then the outside will be clean also.
Blind Pharisee! First cleanse the inside of the cup and the dish, so that their outside may also be clean.
27 "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are just like whitewashed sepulchres, the outside of which pleases the eye, though inside they are full of dead men's bones and of all that is unclean.
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!! Because you resemble whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly but inside are full of dead bones and of all uncleanness.
28 The same is true of you: outwardly you seem to the human eye to be good and honest men, but, within, you are full of insincerity and disregard of God's Law.
Just so, you also outwardly appear to be righteous to the people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you repair the sepulchres of the Prophets and keep in order the tombs of the righteous,
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous;
30 and your boast is, "'If we had lived in the time of our forefathers, we should not have been implicated with them in the murder of the Prophets.'
yet you 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.’
31 "So that you bear witness against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the Prophets.
Therefore you testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up the measure of your forefathers' guilt.
So fill up the measure of your fathers' guilt!
“Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape from the condemnation of Hell? (Geenna g1067)
34 "For this reason I am sending to you Prophets and wise men and Scribes. Some of them you will put to death--nay, crucify; some of them you will flog in your synagogues and chase from town to town;
So take note: I will send you prophets and wise men and Biblical scholars; some of them you will kill, even crucify; some of them you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from city to city
35 that all the innocent blood shed upon earth may come on you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Berechiah whom you murdered between the Sanctuary and the altar.
—so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel up to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
36 I tell you in solemn truth that all these things will come upon the present generation.
Assuredly I say to you that all these things will come upon this generation.
37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! thou who murderest the Prophets and stonest those who have been sent to thee! how often have I desired to gather thy children to me, just as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not come!
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, she who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children, just like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you did not want to.
38 See, your house will now be left to you desolate!
Look, your house is left to you abandoned!
39 For I tell you that you will never see me again until you say, 'Blessed be He who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
For I say to you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’!”
