Mattheum 23
1 Tunc Iesus locutus est ad turbas, et ad discipulos suos,
Then Jesus, speaking to the crowds and to his disciples, said,
2 dicens: Super cathedram Moysi sederunt Scribæ, et Pharisæi.
‘The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees now occupy the chair of Moses.
3 Omnia ergo quæcumque dixerint vobis, servate, et facite: secundum opera vero eorum nolite facere: dicunt enim, et non faciunt.
Therefore practice and lay to heart everything that they preach but do not practice.
4 Alligant enim onera gravia, et importabilia, et imponunt in humeros hominum: digito autem suo nolunt ea movere.
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 Omnia vero opera sua faciunt ut videantur ab hominibus: dilatant enim phylacteria sua, et magnificant fimbrias.
All their actions are done to attract attention. They widen their phylacteries, and increase the size of their tassels,
6 Amant autem primos recubitus in cœnis, et primas cathedras in synagogis,
and like to have the place of honour at dinner, and the best seats in the synagogues,
7 et salutationes in foro, et vocari ab hominibus Rabbi.
and to be greeted in the markets with respect, and to be called “Rabbi” by everybody.
8 Vos autem nolite vocari Rabbi. Unus est enim Magister vester, omnes autem vos fratres estis.
But do not allow yourselves to be called “Rabbi,” for you have only one teacher, and you yourselves are all brothers and sisters.
9 Et patrem nolite vocare vobis super terram: unus est enim Pater vester, qui in cælis est.
And do not call anyone on the earth your “Father,” for your have only one Father, the heavenly Father.
10 Nec vocemini magistri: quia Magister vester unus est, Christus.
Nor must you allow yourselves to be called “leaders,” for you have only one leader, the Christ.
11 Qui maior est vestrum, erit minister vester.
The person who wants to be the greatest among you must be your servant.
12 Qui autem se exaltaverit, humiliabitur: et qui se humiliaverit, exaltabitur.
Whoever exalts themselves will be humbled, and whoever humbles themselves will be exalted.
13 Væ autem vobis Scribæ, et Pharisæi hypocritæ: quia clauditis regnum cælorum ante homines. Vos enim non intratis, nec introeuntes sinitis intrare.
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 Væ vobis Scribæ, et Pharisæi hypocritæ: quia comeditis domos viduarum, orationes longas orantes: propter hoc amplius accipietis iudicium.
15 Væ vobis Scribæ, et Pharisæi hypocritæ: quia circuitis mare, et aridam, ut faciatis unum proselytum: et cum fuerit factus, facitis eum filium Gehennæ duplo quam vos. (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 Væ vobis duces cæci, qui dicitis: Quicumque iuraverit per templum, nihil est: qui autem iuraverit in auro templi, debet.
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 Stulti et cæci: Quid enim maius est, aurum, an templum, quod sanctificat aurum?
Fools that you are and blind! Which is the more important? The gold? Or the Temple which has given sacredness to the gold?
18 Et quicumque iuraverit in altari, nihil est: quicumque autem iuraverit in dono, quod est super illud, debet.
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 Cæci: quid enim maius est, donum, an altare, quod sanctificat donum?
Blind indeed! Which is the more important? The offering? Or the altar which gives sacredness to the offering?
20 Qui ergo iurat in altari, iurat in eo, et in omnibus quæ super illud sunt.
Therefore a person, swearing by the altar, swears by it and by all that is on it,
21 Et quicumque iuraverit in templo, iurat in illo, et in eo, qui habitat in ipso:
and a person, swearing by the Temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it,
22 et qui iurat in cælo, iurat in throno Dei, et in eo, qui sedet super eum.
while a person, swearing by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on it.
23 Væ vobis Scribæ, et Pharisæi hypocritæ: qui decimatis mentham, et anethum, et cyminum, et reliquistis quæ graviora sunt legis, iudicium, et misericordiam, et fidem. Hæc oportuit facere, et illa non omittere.
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 Duces cæci, excolantes culicem, camelum autem glutientes.
You blind guides, to strain out a gnat and to swallow a camel!
25 Væ vobis Scribæ, et Pharisæi hypocritæ, quia mundatis quod deforis est calicis, et paropsidis: intus autem pleni estis rapina, et immunditia.
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 Pharisæe cæce, munda prius quod intus est calicis, et paropsidis, ut fiat id, quod deforis est, mundum.
You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.
27 Væ vobis Scribæ, et Pharisæi hypocritæ: quia similes estis sepulchris dealbatis, quæ aforis parent hominibus speciosa, intus vero pleni sunt ossibus mortuorum, et omni spurcitia.
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 Sic et vos aforis quidem paretis hominibus iusti: intus autem pleni estis hypocrisi, et iniquitate.
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 Væ vobis Scribæ, et Pharisæi hypocritæ, qui ædificatis sepulchra prophetarum, et ornatis monumenta iustorum,
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 et dicitis: Si fuissemus in diebus patrum nostrorum, non essemus socii eorum in sanguine prophetarum.
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 Itaque testimonio estis vobismetipsis, quia filii estis eorum, qui prophetas occiderunt.
By doing this you are furnishing evidence against yourselves that you are true children of the people who murdered the prophets.
32 Et vos implete mensuram patrum vestrorum.
Go on then, finish what your ancestors began!
You snakes and children of snakes! How can you escape being sentenced to Gehenna? (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 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 ut veniat super vos omnis sanguis iustus, qui effusus est super terram, a sanguine Abel iusti usque ad sanguinem Zachariæ, filii Barachiæ, quem occidistis inter templum et altare.
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 Amen dico vobis, venient hæc omnia super generationem istam.
All this, I tell you, will come home to the present generation.
37 Ierusalem, Ierusalem, quæ 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! She who slays the prophets and stones the messengers sent to her – Oh, how often have I wished to gather your children round me, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not come!
38 Ecce relinquetur vobis domus vestra deserta.
Verily, your house is left to you desolate!
39 Dico enim vobis, non me videbitis amodo, donec dicatis: Benedictus, qui venit in nomine Domini.
For nevermore, I tell you, will you see me, until you say – “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”’
