Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus addressed the crowds and His disciples.
Then, Jesus spake unto the multitudes and unto his disciples,
2 "The Scribes," He said, "and the Pharisees sit in the chair of Moses.
saying—Upon Moses’ seat, have sat down, the Scribes and the Pharisees:
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.
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.
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.
But they bind together heavy burdens, and lay upon men’s shoulders, whereas, they, with their finger, are not willing to move them.
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,
But, all their works, they do, to be gazed at, by men, —for they make broad their amulets, and make large their fringes,
6 and love the best seats at a dinner party or in the synagogues,
And dearly love the first couch in the chief meals, 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 salutations in the market-places, and to be called by men, Rabbi.
8 "As for you, do not accept the title of 'Rabbi,' for one alone is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
But, ye, —do not be called Rabbi, —for, one, is your Teacher, and, all ye, are brethren;
9 And call no one on earth your Father, for One alone is your Father--the Heavenly Father.
And, father, be none of you called, upon the earth, for, one, is your Father, the Heavenly;
10 And do not accept the name of 'leader,' for your Leader is one alone--the Christ.
Neither be called leaders, for, your leader, is one, the Christ;
11 He who is the greatest among you shall be your servant;
And, the greatest of you, shall be to you, a minister;
12 and one who exalts himself shall be abased, while one who abases himself shall be exalted.
And, whoever shall exalt himself, shall be, abased, and, whoever shall abase himself, shall 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.
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.
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)
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)
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.'
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:
17 "Blind fools! Why, which is greater? --the gold, or the Sanctuary which has made the gold holy?
Foolish and blind! for which is, greater, The gold, or the Temple that hath hallowed 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, whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is, nothing, but, whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, is bound:
19 "You are blind! Why, which is greater? --the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy?
Blind! for which is greater, The gift, or the altar that halloweth the gift?
20 He who swears by the altar swears both by it and by everything on it;
He therefore that hath sworn by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all that is upon it;
21 he who swears by the Sanctuary swears both by it and by Him who dwells in it;
And, he that hath sworn by the Temple, sweareth by it, and by him who dwelleth therein;
22 and he who swears by Heaven swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
And, he that hath sworn by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him who sitteth thereupon.
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.
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.
24 You blind guides, straining out the gnat while you gulp down the camel!
Blind guides! Straining out the gnat, but, the camel, swallowing.
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.
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.
26 Blind Pharisee, first wash clean the inside of the cup or dish, and then the outside will be clean also.
Blind Pharisee! cleanse, first, the inside, of the cup [and of the dish], that, the outside thereof, may become, 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.
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, —
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.
Thus, ye also, outside, indeed, appear to men, righteous, but, within, 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,
Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because ye build the sepulchres 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.'
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:
31 "So that you bear witness against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the Prophets.
So that ye bear witness against yourselves, that ye are, sons, of them who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up the measure of your forefathers' guilt.
And, ye, fill ye up the measure of your fathers!
Serpents! broods of vipers! how should ye flee from the judgment of gehenna? (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;
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:
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.
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.
36 I tell you in solemn truth that all these things will come upon the present generation.
Verily, I say unto you—All these things, will have 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! 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!
38 See, your house will now be left to you desolate!
Lo! your house is left to you;
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 unto you—in no wise, may ye see me, henceforth, until ye say, Blessed, is he that cometh, in the name of the Lord!
