Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
Then Jesus, speaking to the crowds and to his disciples, said,
2 saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.
“The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees now occupy the chair of Moses.
3 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.
Therefore practice and lay to heart everything that they preach but do not practice.
4 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.
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 they do all their works to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the fringes 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 place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
and like to have the place of honor at dinner, and the best seats in the synagogues,
7 the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.
and to be greeted in the markets with respect, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by everybody.
8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.
But do not allow yourselves to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and you yourselves are all brothers and sisters.
9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he 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 called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
Nor must you allow yourselves to be called ‘leaders,’ for you have only one leader, the Christ.
11 But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
The person who wants to be the greatest among you must be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Whoever exalts themselves will be humbled, and whoever humbles themselves will be exalted.
13 “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 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 “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 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)
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, 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.’
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 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies 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 swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated.’
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 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
Blind indeed! Which is the more important? The offering? Or the altar which gives sacredness to the offering?
20 He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it.
Therefore a person, swearing by the altar, swears by it and by all that is on it,
21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who has been living in it.
and a person, swearing by the Temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it,
22 He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on 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 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.
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 You 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 you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.
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 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become 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 you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are 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 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you 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! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs 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 lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t 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 you testify to yourselves that you are children of those 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 up, then, the measure of your fathers.
Go on then, finish what your ancestors began!
33 You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna? (Geenna g1067)
You snakes and children of snakes! How can you escape being sentenced to Gehenna? (Geenna g1067)
34 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,
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 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.
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 Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
All this, I tell you, will come home to the present generation.
37 “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!
Jerusalem! Jerusalem! She who slays the prophets and stones the messengers sent to her – Oh, how often have I wished to gather your children around 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 tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes 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!’”
