Mattheum 23
1 Tunc Iesus locutus est ad turbas, et ad discipulos suos,
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and his disciples:
2 dicens: Super cathedram Moysi sederunt Scribae, et Pharisaei.
“The religious teachers and the Pharisees are responsible as interpreters of the law of Moses,
3 Omnia ergo quaecumque dixerint vobis, servate, et facite: secundum opera vero eorum nolite facere: dicunt enim, et non faciunt.
so obey them and do everything they tell you. But don't follow what they do, because they don't practice what they preach.
4 Alligant enim onera gravia, et importabilia, et imponunt in humeros hominum: digito autem suo nolunt ea movere.
They tie up heavy burdens, and place them on people's shoulders, but they themselves don't lift a finger to help them.
5 Omnia vero opera sua faciunt ut videantur ab hominibus: dilatant enim phylacteria sua, et magnificant fimbrias.
Everything they do is to make sure they get noticed. They make themselves large prayer boxes to wear and long tassels on their clothes.
6 Amant autem primos recubitus in coenis, et primas cathedras in synagogis,
They love to have the places of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues.
7 et salutationes in foro, et vocari ab hominibus Rabbi.
They love to be greeted with respect in the market places, and for people to call them, ‘Rabbi.’
8 Vos autem nolite vocari Rabbi. unus est enim Magister vester, omnes autem vos fratres estis.
Don't let people call you ‘Rabbi.’ Only one is your Master Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 Et patrem nolite vocare vobis super terram: unus est enim Pater vester, qui in caelis est.
Don't call anyone by the title ‘Father’ here on earth. Only one is your Father, who is in heaven.
10 Nec vocemini magistri: quia Magister vester unus est, Christus.
Don't let people call you ‘Teacher.’ Only one is your Teacher, the Messiah.
11 Qui maior est vestrum, erit minister vester.
The greatest among you will be your servant.
12 Qui autem se exaltaverit, humiliabitur: et qui se humiliaverit, exaltabitur.
Those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great.
13 Vae autem vobis Scribae, et Pharisaei hypocritae: quia clauditis regnum caelorum ante homines. vos enim non intratis, nec introeuntes sinitis intrare.
But what a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You slam shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. You yourselves don't go in, yet you don't let anyone in who is trying to enter.
14 Vae vobis Scribae, et Pharisaei hypocritae: quia comeditis domos viduarum, orationes longas orantes: propter hoc amplius accipietis iudicium.
15 Vae vobis Scribae, et Pharisaei hypocritae: quia circuitis mare, et aridam, ut faciatis unum proselytum: et cum fuerit factus, facitis eum filium gehennae duplo quam vos. (Geenna g1067)
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you travel over land and sea to make a single convert, and when you do, you make him twice a son of darkness as you are yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 Vae vobis duces caeci, qui dicitis: Quicumque iuraverit per templum, nihil est: qui autem iuraverit in auro templi, debet.
What a disaster is coming on those of you who say, ‘If you swear by the Temple that doesn't count, but if you swear by the gold of the Temple, then you have to keep your oath.’ How foolish and blind you are!
17 Stulti et caeci: Quid enim maius est, aurum, an templum, quod sanctificat aurum?
What is greater—the gold, or the Temple that makes the gold holy?
18 Et quicumque iuraverit in altari, nihil est: quicumque autem iuraverit in dono, quod est super illud, debet.
You say, ‘If you swear on the altar that doesn't count, but if you swear on the sacrifice that's on the altar, then you have to keep your oath.’
19 Caeci: quid enim maius est, donum, an altare, quod sanctificat donum?
How blind you are! What is greater—the sacrifice, or the altar that makes the sacrifice holy?
20 Qui ergo iurat in altari, iurat in eo, et in omnibus quae super illud sunt.
If you swear by the altar, you swear by it and by everything that's on it.
21 et quicumque iuraverit in templo, iurat in illo, et in eo, qui habitat in ipso:
If you swear by the Temple you swear by it and by the one who lives there.
22 et qui iurat in caelo, iurat in throno Dei, et in eo, qui sedet super eum.
If you swear by heaven you swear by the throne of God and the one who sits there.
23 Vae vobis Scribae, et Pharisaei hypocritae: qui decimatis mentham, et anethum, et cyminum, et reliquistis quae graviora sunt legis, iudicium, et misericordiam, et fidem. haec oportuit facere, et illa non omittere.
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay a tithe of mint, aniseed, and cumin, but you neglect the vital aspects of the law—doing good, showing mercy, exercising trust. Yes, you should pay your tithe, but don't forget these other things.
24 Duces caeci, excolantes culicem, camelum autem glutientes.
You blind guides—you strain what you drink to keep out a fly but then you swallow a camel!
25 Vae vobis Scribae, et Pharisaei hypochritae, qui mundatis quod deforis est calicis, et paropsidis: intus autem pleni estis rapina, et immunditia.
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you're full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 Pharisaee caece, munda prius quod intus est calicis, et paropsidis, ut fiat id, quod deforis est, mundum.
You blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside will also be clean.
27 Vae vobis Scribae, et Pharisaei hypocritae: quia similes estis sepulchris dealbatis, quae aforis parent hominibus speciosa, intus vero pleni sunt ossibus mortuorum, et omni spurcitia.
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like white-washed tombs, looking good on the outside, but on the inside full of skeletons and all kinds of rottenness.
28 sic et vos aforis quidem paretis hominibus iusti: intus autem pleni estis hypocrisi, et iniquitate.
You're just the same. On the outside you look like good people to others, but on the inside you're full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29 Vae vobis Scribae, et Pharisaei hypocritae, qui aedificatis sepulchra prophetarum, et ornatis monumenta iustorum,
What a disaster is coming on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs as memorials to the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the good,
30 et dicitis: Si fuissemus in diebus patrum nostrorum, non essemus socii eorum in sanguine prophetarum.
and you say, ‘If we had lived in the times of our ancestors we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
31 itaque testimonio estis vobismetipsis, quia filii estis eorum, qui prophetas occiderunt.
But by saying this you testify against yourselves, proving that you belong to those who murdered the prophets!
32 Et vos implete mensuram patrum vestrorum.
So get on with it—finish it all off using your forefathers' methods!
You snakes, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of condemnation? (Geenna g1067)
34 Ideo ecce ego mitto ad vos prophetas, et sapientes, et scribas, et ex illis occidetis, et crucifigetis, et ex eis flagellabitis in synagogis vestris, et persequemini de civitate in civitatem:
That's why I'm sending you prophets, wise men, and teachers. Some of them you will kill, some of them you will crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues, hunting them from town to town.
35 ut veniat super vos omnis sanguis iustus, qui effusus est super terram, a sanguine Abel iusti usque ad sanguinem Zachariae, filii Barachiae, quem occidistis inter templum et altare.
As a result, you will be held accountable for the blood of all the good people that has been poured out on the land—from the blood of Abel, who did what was right, to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the Temple and the altar.
36 Amen dico vobis, venient haec omnia super generationem istam.
I'm telling you, the consequences of all this will fall on this generation.
37 Ierusalem Ierusalem, quae occidis prophetas, et lapidas eos, qui ad te missi sunt, quoties volui congregare filios tuos, quemadmodum gallina congregat pullos suos sub alas, et noluisti?
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! So often I wanted to gather your children as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings—but you wouldn't let me.
38 Ecce relinquetur vobis domus vestra deserta.
Now look—your house is left abandoned, totally empty.
39 Dico enim vobis, non me videbitis amodo, donec dicatis: Benedictus, qui venit in nomine Domini.
I tell you this: you won't see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
