Matthew 23
1 Then spake Jesus to the multitudes and to his disciples,
Then Jesus addressed the crowds and His disciples.
2 saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat:
"The Scribes," He said, "and the Pharisees sit in the chair of Moses.
3 all things therefore whatsoever they bid you, [these] do and observe: but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not.
Therefore do and observe everything that they command you; but do not imitate their lives, for though they tell others what to do, they do not do it themselves.
4 Yea, they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger.
Heavy and cumbrous burdens they bind together and load men's shoulders with them, while as for themselves, not with one finger do they choose to lift them.
5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders [of their garments],
And everything they do they do with a view to being observed by men; for they widen their phylacteries and make the tassels large,
6 and love the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
and love the best seats at a dinner party or in the synagogues,
7 and the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called of men, Rabbi.
and like to be bowed to in places of public resort, and to be addressed by men as 'Rabbi.'
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your teacher, and all ye are brethren.
"As for you, do not accept the title of 'Rabbi,' for one alone is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And call no man your father on the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
And call no one on earth your Father, for One alone is your Father--the Heavenly Father.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, [even] the Christ.
And do not accept the name of 'leader,' for your Leader is one alone--the Christ.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
He who is the greatest among you shall be your servant;
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.
and one who exalts himself shall be abased, while one who abases himself shall be exalted.
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye enter not in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to enter.
"But alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you lock the door of the Kingdom of the Heavens against men; you yourselves do not enter, nor do you allow those to enter who are seeking to do so.
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is become so, ye make him twofold more a son of hell than yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
"Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you scour sea and land in order to win one convert--and when he is gained, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as 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.
"Alas for you, you blind guides, who say, "'Whoever swears by the Sanctuary it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the Sanctuary, is bound by the oath.'
17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold?
"Blind fools! Why, which is greater? --the gold, or the Sanctuary which has made the gold holy?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor.
And you say, "'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the offering lying on it is bound by the oath.'
19 Ye blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
"You are blind! Why, which is greater? --the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy?
20 He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
He who swears by the altar swears both by it and by everything on it;
21 And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
he who swears by the Sanctuary swears both by it and by Him who dwells in it;
22 And he that sweareth by the heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
and he who swears by Heaven swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, judgment, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone.
"Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay the tithe on mint, dill, and cumin, while you have neglected the weightier requirements of the Law--just judgement, mercy, and faithful dealing. These things you ought to have done, and yet you ought not to have left the others undone.
24 Ye blind guides, which strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel.
You blind guides, straining out the gnat while you gulp down the camel!
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full from extortion and excess.
"Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you wash clean the outside of the cup or dish, while within they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean also.
Blind Pharisee, first wash clean the inside of the cup or dish, and then the outside will be clean also.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
"Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are just like whitewashed sepulchres, the outside of which pleases the eye, though inside they are full of dead men's bones and of all that is unclean.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
The same is true of you: outwardly you seem to the human eye to be good and honest men, but, within, you are full of insincerity and disregard of God's Law.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous,
"Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you repair the sepulchres of the Prophets and keep in order the tombs of the righteous,
30 and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
and your boast is, "'If we had lived in the time of our forefathers, we should not have been implicated with them in the murder of the Prophets.'
31 Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets.
"So that you bear witness against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the Prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
Fill up the measure of your forefathers' guilt.
O serpents, O vipers' brood, how are you to escape condemnation to Gehenna? (Geenna g1067)
34 Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them shall ye kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city:
"For this reason I am sending to you Prophets and wise men and Scribes. Some of them you will put to death--nay, crucify; some of them you will flog in your synagogues and chase from town to town;
35 that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the altar.
that all the innocent blood shed upon earth may come on you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Berechiah whom you murdered between the Sanctuary and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
I tell you in solemn truth that all these things will come upon the present generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! thou who murderest the Prophets and stonest those who have been sent to thee! how often have I desired to gather thy children to me, just as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not come!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
See, your house will now be left to you desolate!
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.
For I tell you that you will never see me again until you say, 'Blessed be He who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
