MAT 23

Jesus Denounces the Scribes and Pharisees

Mk. 12:38-40; Lk.11:37-52; 20:45-47

1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,

2 stating, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the chair of Moses as authoritative teachers of the Law.

3 Therefore, all that they tell you from the Law, do and keep, but do not do according to their works and example, for they say one thing and do not practise what they preach.

4 And they tie up heavy and oppressive burdens of legalistic requirements, and lay them on the shoulders of men, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger or help bear them.

5 And they do all their works in order to be seen by men and receive glory, for they broaden their phylacteries—the boxes containing Scripture—and lengthen their tassels to appear more pious.

6 And they love the place of honour at feasts, and the most honourable seats in the synagogues,

7 and the greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi'—teacher—by men.

8 But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for One is your Teacher—Christ, and you are all brothers on equal footing.

9 And do not call anyone your father on earth in a spiritual sense, for One is your Father, who is in heaven.

10 And do not be called instructors or masters, for One is your Instructor, the Christ.

11 And the greatest among you will be your servant who serves others.

12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled by God, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut the kingdom of heaven before men and prevent them from entering. For you neither enter yourselves, nor permit those who would enter to go in.

15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you journey across the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte—one convert, and when he becomes so, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves—you corrupt him further.

16 "Woe to you, blind guides, who assert, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it is of no consequence and not binding; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.'

17 Foolish and blind people! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that consecrates the gold and makes it holy?

18 And you assert, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it is of no consequence; but if anyone swears by the gift that is on it, he is bound by his oath.'

19 Blind people! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that consecrates the gift?

20 Therefore, the one who swears by the altar swears by it and by all things that are on it.

21 And the one who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one—God—who dwells in it.

22 And the one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by the One who sits upon it.

23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you tithe mint and dill and cumin—even the smallest herbs, and have disregarded the weightier matters of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done without disregarding those things also.

24 Blind guides, who strain out the gnat—the smallest impurity, but swallow the camel—the largest defilement!

25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you clean the outside of the cup and the dish to appear pure, but inside they are full of avarice and self-indulgence.

26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish through inner righteousness, so that its outside also may become clean.

27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones and of every kind of impurity.

28 So you also outwardly appear to men as righteous, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,

30 and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been collaborators with them in shedding the blood of the prophets!'

31 In this manner, you testify against yourselves that you are sons and spiritual descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

32 Complete, then, the measure of your fathers' deeds—fill up the full measure of guilt by rejecting the Christ.

33 Snakes! Offspring of vipers! By what means will you escape from the condemnation that leads to hell?

34 For this purpose, behold, I am sending to you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues, and pursue from city to city,

35 so that upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on the earth from the blood of Abel the righteous up to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will befall this generation in judgment!

Jesus Laments Over Jerusalem

Lk. 13:34-35

37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How many times have I desired to gather your children together in the way a hen gathers her young under her wings for protection, but you were not willing!

38 Behold, your house—the temple—is left to you in a condition of desolation!

39 For I say to you, you will never see Me from this moment on until you say, 'Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!'"—when you recognise Me at My return.

Notes

13 A variant reading, attested in part of the manuscript tradition, expands the passage by introducing material from Luke 20:47, which forms an additional verse (14). This verse reads: “ But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses and, as a pretext, pray at great length. For this purpose, you will receive greater condemnation.”

Currently Selected:

MAT 23: AFINT

Highlight

Copy

Compare