Matthew 23
1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and his disciples:
2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:
“The religious teachers and the Pharisees are responsible as interpreters of the law of Moses,
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, [that] observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
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 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay [them] on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
They tie up heavy burdens, and place them on people's shoulders, but they themselves don't lift a finger to help them.
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
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 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
They love to have the places of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues.
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
They love to be greeted with respect in the market places, and for people to call them, ‘Rabbi.’
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, [even] Christ; and all ye are brethren.
Don't let people call you ‘Rabbi.’ Only one is your Master Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Don't call anyone by the title ‘Father’ here on earth. Only one is your Father, who is in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, [even] Christ.
Don't let people call you ‘Teacher.’ Only one is your Teacher, the Messiah.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
The greatest among you will be your servant.
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great.
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
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 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. (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 Woe unto you, [ye] blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
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 [Ye] fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
What is greater—the gold, or the Temple that makes the gold holy?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
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 [Ye] fools and blind: for whether [is] greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
How blind you are! What is greater—the sacrifice, or the altar that makes the sacrifice holy?
20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
If you swear by the altar, you swear by it and by everything that's on it.
21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
If you swear by the Temple you swear by it and by the one who lives there.
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
If you swear by heaven you swear by the throne of God and the one who sits there.
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
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 [Ye] blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
You blind guides—you strain what you drink to keep out a fly but then you swallow a camel!
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
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 [Thou] blind Pharisee, cleanse first that [which is] within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
You blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside will also be clean.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead [men’s] bones, and of all uncleanness.
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 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
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 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
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 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
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 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
But by saying this you testify against yourselves, proving that you belong to those who murdered the prophets!
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
So get on with it—finish it all off using your forefathers' methods!
33 [Ye] serpents, [ye] generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? (Geenna g1067)
You snakes, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of condemnation? (Geenna g1067)
34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and [some] of them ye shall kill and crucify; and [some] of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute [them] from city to city:
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 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
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 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
I'm telling you, the consequences of all this will fall on this generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [thou] that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under [her] wings, and ye would not!
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 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
Now look—your house is left abandoned, totally empty.
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
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.’”
