Matthew 23
23
Jesus Condemns the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law of Moses
(Mark 12.38-40; Luke 11.37-52; 20.45-47)
1Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
2The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law are experts in the Law of Moses. 3So obey everything they teach you, but don't do as they do. After all, they say one thing and do something else.
4They pile heavy burdens on people's shoulders and won't lift a finger to help. 5#Mt 6.1; Dt 6.8; Nu 15.38. Everything they do is just to show off in front of others. They even make a big show of wearing Scripture verses on their foreheads and arms, and they wear big tassels#23.5 wearing Scripture verses on their foreheads and arms … tassels: As a sign of their love for God and his teachings, the Jewish people often wore Scripture verses in small leather boxes. But the Pharisees tried to show off by making the boxes bigger than necessary. The Jewish people were also taught to wear tassels on the four corners of their robes to show their love for God. for everyone to see. 6They love the best seats at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues. 7And when they are in the market, they like to have people greet them as their teachers.
8But none of you should be called a teacher. You have only one teacher, and all of you are like brothers and sisters. 9Don't call anyone on earth your father. All of you have the same Father in heaven. 10None of you should be called the leader. The Messiah is your only leader. 11#Mt 20.26,27; Mk 9.35; 10.43,44; Lk 22.26. Whoever is the greatest should be the servant of the others. 12#Lk 14.11; 18.14. If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.
13-14You Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. You won't go in yourselves, and you keep others from going in.#23.13,14 from going in: Some manuscripts add, “You Pharisees and teachers are in for trouble! And you're nothing but show-offs! You cheat widows out of their homes and then pray long prayers just to show off. So you will be punished most of all.”
15You Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You travel over land and sea to win one follower. And when you have done so, you make that person twice as fit for hell as you are.
16You are in for trouble! You are supposed to lead others, but you are blind. You teach that it doesn't matter if a person swears by the temple. But you say it does matter if someone swears by the gold in the temple. 17You blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
18You also teach that it doesn't matter if a person swears by the altar. But you say it does matter if someone swears by the gift on the altar. 19Are you blind? Which is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20Anyone who swears by the altar also swears by everything on it. 21And anyone who swears by the temple also swears by God, who lives there. 22#Is 66.1; Mt 5.34. To swear by heaven is the same as swearing by God's throne and by the one who sits on that throne.
23 #
Lv 27.30. You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your garden, such as mint, dill, and cumin. Yet you neglect the more important matters of the Law, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the important things you should have done, though you should not have left the others undone either. 24You blind leaders! You strain out a small fly but swallow a camel.
25You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You wash the outside of your cups and dishes, while inside there is nothing but greed and selfishness. 26You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of a cup, and then the outside will also be clean.
27 #
Ac 23.3. You Pharisees and teachers are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You're like tombs that have been whitewashed.#23.27 whitewashed: Tombs were whitewashed to keep anyone from accidentally touching them. A person who touched a dead body or a tomb was considered unclean and could not worship with the rest of the Jewish people. On the outside they are beautiful, but inside they are full of bones and filth. 28That's what you are like. Outside you look good, but inside you are evil and only pretend to be good.
29You Pharisees and teachers are nothing but show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You build monuments for the prophets and decorate the tombs of good people. 30And you claim you would not have taken part with your ancestors in killing the prophets. 31But you prove you really are the relatives of the ones who killed the prophets. 32So keep on doing everything they did. 33#Mt 3.7; 12.34; Lk 3.7. You are nothing but snakes and the children of snakes! How can you escape going to hell?
34I will send to you prophets and wise people and experts in the Law of Moses. You will kill them or nail them to a cross or beat them in your synagogues or chase them from town to town. 35#Gn 4.8; 2 Ch 24.20-22. That's why you will be held guilty for the murder of every good person, beginning with the good man Abel. This also includes Barachiah's son Zechariah,#23.35 Zechariah: Genesis is the first book in the Jewish Scriptures, and it tells that Abel was the first person to be murdered. Second Chronicles is the last book in the Jewish Scriptures, and the last murder that it tells about is that of Zechariah. the man you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36I can promise that you people living today will be punished for all these things!
Jesus Loves Jerusalem
(Luke 13.34,35)
37Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Your people have killed the prophets and have stoned the messengers who were sent to you. I have often wanted to gather your people, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you wouldn't let me. 38#Jr 22.5. And now your temple will be deserted. 39#Ps 118.26. You won't see me again until you say,
“Blessed is the one who comes
in the name of the Lord.”
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Matthew 23: CEV
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
St Matthew 23
23
1THEN Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
2Saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses.
3All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not; for they say, and do not.
4For they bind heavy and insupportable burdens, and lay them on men's shoulders; but with a finger of their own they will not move them.
5And all their works they do for to be seen of men. For they make their phylacteries broad, and enlarge their fringes.
6And they love the first places at feasts, and the first chairs in the synagogues,
7And salutations in the market place, and to be called by men, Rabbi.
8But be not you called Rabbi. For one is your master; and all you are brethren.
9And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven.
10Neither be ye called masters; for one is you master, Christ.
11He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant.
12And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13But woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men, for you yourselves do not enter in; and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter.
14Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because you devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. For this you shall receive the greater judgment.
15Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves.
16Woe to you blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but he that shall swear by the gold of the temple, is a debtor.
17Ye foolish and blind; for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18And whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, is a debtor.
19Ye blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things that are upon it:
21And whosoever shall swear by temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth in it:
22And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
23Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you tithe mint, and anise, and cummin, and have left the weightier things of the law; judgment, and mercy, and faith. These things you ought to have done, and not to leave those undone.
24Blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within you are full of rapine and uncleanness.
26Thou blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside may become clean.
27Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you are like to whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful, but within are full of dead men's bones, and of all filthiness.
28So you also outwardly indeed appear to men just; but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; that build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the monuments of the just,
30And 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.
31Wherefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of them that killed the prophets.
32Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33You serpents, generation of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of hell?
34Therefore behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you will put to death and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city:
35That upon you may come all the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.
36Amen I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation.
37Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest not?
38Behold, you house shall be left to you, desolate.
39For I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth till you say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.