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 on Moses’ seat.
saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees are seated upon Moses' chair;
3 All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t do.
so whatever they may tell you to observe, you should observe and do; but do not do according to their deeds, for they say and do not do.
4 For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
For they package loads that are heavy and hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of the people; but they themselves do not want to move them with one of their fingers.
5 But they do all their works to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the fringes of their garments,
“Rather, they do all their works in order to be seen by people. They make their phylacteries broad and the tassels on their garments large;
6 and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
they love the place of honor at dinners and the first seats in the synagogues,
7 the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.
and the greetings in the marketplaces, namely to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by the people.
8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.
“But you (pl.), do not be called ‘Rabbi’; because your Teacher is one, the Christ, and you are all brothers.
9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven.
And do not call anyone on earth your ‘father’; because your Father is one, He who is in the heavens.
10 Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
Neither be called leaders/guides; because your Leader is one, the Christ.
11 But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
On the contrary, the greatest among you must be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you devour the houses of the widows, while making long prayers as a pretense. Therefore you will receive a greater condemnation.
14 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.
Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you bar the entrance to the kingdom of the heavens in the face of the people; for you neither go in yourselves nor do you allow those who are trying to enter to go in.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!! Because you travel all over, land and sea, to make one convert, and when he joins up you make him twice as much a son of Hell as yourselves. (Geenna g1067)
16 “Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’
“Woe to you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.’
17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
Stupid and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated.’
And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it is obligated.’
19 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
Stupid and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20 He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it.
Therefore he who swears by the altar swears by it and by all the things on it.
21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who has been living in it.
And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by Him who used to dwell in it.
22 He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it.
And he who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you pay a tithe of mint and dill and cummin, but have neglected the weightier items of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These it was obligatory to do, while not neglecting those.
24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!
Blind guides, who strain out a gnat but gulp down a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of plunder and injustice.
26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also.
Blind Pharisee! First cleanse the inside of the cup and the dish, so that their outside may also be clean.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness.
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!! Because you resemble whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly but inside are full of dead bones and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Just so, you also outwardly appear to be righteous to the people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous,
“Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous;
30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
yet you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
31 Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.
Therefore you testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
So fill up the measure of your fathers' guilt!
33 You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna? (Geenna g1067)
“Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape from the condemnation of Hell? (Geenna g1067)
34 Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,
So take note: I will send you prophets and wise men and Biblical scholars; some of them you will kill, even crucify; some of them you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from city to city
35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.
—so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel up to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
36 Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Assuredly I say to you that all these things will come upon this generation.
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, she who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children, just like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you did not want to.
38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate.
Look, your house is left to you abandoned!
39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
For I say to you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord’!”
