Matthew 23
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and his disciples:
2 saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.
“The religious teachers and the Pharisees are responsible as interpreters of the law of Moses,
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 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 that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them.
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 they do all their works to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the fringes 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 place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
They love to have the places of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues.
7 the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.
They love to be greeted with respect in the market places, and for people to call them, ‘Rabbi.’
8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers.
Don't let people call you ‘Rabbi.’ Only one is your Master Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who 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 called masters, for one is your master, the Christ.
Don't let people call you ‘Teacher.’ Only one is your Teacher, the Messiah.
11 But he who is greatest among you will be your servant.
The greatest among you will be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great.
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.
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 “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.
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)
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 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.’
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 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
What is greater—the gold, or the Temple that makes the gold holy?
18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated.’
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 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
How blind you are! What is greater—the sacrifice, or the altar that makes the sacrifice holy?
20 He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it.
If you swear by the altar, you swear by it and by everything that's on it.
21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who has been living in it.
If you swear by the Temple you swear by it and by the one who lives there.
22 He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it.
If you swear by heaven you swear by the throne of God and the one who sits there.
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.
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 You blind guides, who strain out 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 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.
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 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become 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 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.
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 you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you 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 to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs 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 lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t 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 Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.
But by saying this you testify against yourselves, proving that you belong to those who murdered the prophets!
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
So get on with it—finish it all off using your forefathers' methods!
33 You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna? (Geenna g1067)
You snakes, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of condemnation? (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,
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 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.
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 Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
I'm telling you, the consequences of all this will fall on 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, 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 to you desolate.
Now look—your house is left abandoned, totally empty.
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!’”
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.’”
