Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus addressed the crowds and His disciples.
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
2 "The Scribes," He said, "and the Pharisees sit in the chair of Moses.
saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.
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 whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t 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 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 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 they do all their works to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the fringes of their garments,
6 and love the best seats at a dinner party or in the synagogues,
and love the place of honour at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
7 and like to be bowed to in places of public resort, and to be addressed by men as 'Rabbi.'
the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.
8 "As for you, do not accept the title of 'Rabbi,' for one alone is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.
9 And call no one on earth your Father, for One alone is your Father--the Heavenly Father.
Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
10 And do not accept the name of 'leader,' for your Leader is one alone--the Christ.
Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
11 He who is the greatest among you shall be your servant;
But he who is greatest amongst you will be your servant.
12 and one who exalts himself shall be abased, while one who abases 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, 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! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretence 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, 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! 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, 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, 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 "Blind fools! Why, which is greater? --the gold, or the Sanctuary which has made the gold holy?
You blind fools! 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, he is obligated.’
19 "You are blind! Why, which is greater? --the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy?
You blind fools! 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;
He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it.
21 he who swears by the Sanctuary swears both by it and by Him who dwells in it;
He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who has been living in it.
22 and he who swears by Heaven swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
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! 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 You blind guides, straining out the gnat while you gulp down the camel!
You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow 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! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.
26 Blind Pharisee, first wash clean the inside of the cup or dish, and then the outside will be clean also.
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, 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! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s 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.
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, for you repair the sepulchres of the Prophets and keep in order the tombs 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 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 lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t 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 to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.
32 Fill up the measure of your forefathers' guilt.
Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgement 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;
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 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 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 I tell you in solemn truth that all these things will come upon the present generation.
Most certainly I tell you, 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, 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 See, your house will now be left to you desolate!
Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
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 tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
