Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes, and to his disciples,
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:
2 saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in the seat of Moses.
“The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
3 All, therefore, whatever they bid you, do and observe; but do not according to their works; for they say, and do not.
So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
4 They bind heavy burdens, and lay them on men's shoulders, and will not themselves move them with a finger.
They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 And all their works they do to be observed by men. They make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge their fringes,
All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
6 and love the first place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 and salutations in the markets, and to be called by men, Rabbi.
the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.
8 But be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your teacher; and ye are all brethren.
But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And call no one your father on the earth; for one is your father, he who is in heaven.
And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
10 Nor be ye called leaders; for one is your leader, the Christ.
Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.
11 But the greatest among you will be your servant.
The greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whoever shall exalt himself will be humbled; and whoever shall humble himself will be exalted.
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites I because ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for ye go not in yourselves, nor suffer those who are entering to go in.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, ye make him two-fold mole a son of hell than yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. (Geenna g1067)
16 Woe to you, blind guides, that say, Whoever sweareth by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever sweareth by the gold of the temple, is bound.
Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
17 Fools and blind I for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?
18 And, Whoever sweareth by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, is bound.
And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’
19 Blind men! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar flint sanctifieth the gift?
You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?
20 He then who sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all that is upon it;
So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
21 and he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him who dwelleth in it;
And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it.
22 and he who sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him who sitteth thereon.
And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithes of the mint, and the dill, and the cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the Law, justice, and mercy, and faith; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave those undone.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
24 Blind guides! who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.
You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but within they are full of robbery and licentiousness.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the inside of the cup, that its outside side also may become clean.
Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like whited sepulchres, which outwardly indeed appear beautiful, but within are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the tombs of the righteous,
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.
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 days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
31 So that ye bear witness against yourselves, that ye are the sons of those who killed the prophets.
So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers!
Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers.
You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell? (Geenna g1067)
34 Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; some of them ye will kill and crucify, and some of them ye will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city;
Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute in town after town.
35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Barachiah, whom ye slew, between the temple and the altar.
And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
36 Truly do I say to you, All these things will come upon this generation.
Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth those who are sent to her! How often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!
38 Lo! your house is left to you desolate.
Look, your house is left to you desolate.
39 For I say to you, Ye will not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
For I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
