Mattityahu 23
23
1Then Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach spoke to the multitudes and to his Talmidim,
2Saying, Upon the Kisei Moshe (Chair of Moses) sit the Sofrim and the Perushim.
3Therefore, everything whatever they may tell you, be frum and be shomer, but according to their ma'asim (works) do not be shomer, for they do not practice what they preach.
4And they tie up heavy#23:4 extra-Biblical, Mt 4:4; 15:3,6-9; 22:29 loads, hard to bear, and they place them upon the shoulders of men, but they, with so much as a finger, are not willing to lift the oppressive burdens.
5And all their ma'asim hamitzvot (works of the commandments) they do in order to be seen by Bnei Adam, for they broaden their tefillin and lengthen their tzitziyot,
6and they love the places of honor at the seudot (banquet dinners), and the shuls,
7And the#23:7 obsequious Birkat Shalom greetings in the market places, and to be called by Bnei Adam, Rebbe.
8But you are not to have pretentious titles like Rebbe, for One is your Rebbe,#23:8 Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach and all of you are Achim b'Moshiach.
9And do not refer to anyone in the Olam Hazeh as your Abba, for One is your Av shbaShomayim.
10Neither be called Moreinu, for One is your Moreh (teacher) the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.#23:10 Moreinu
11And the greatest among you will be your eved mesharet (servant, minister).
12But whoever will lift up himself will be humbled, and whoever will humble himself will be lifted up.
13But oy to you, Sofrim and Perushim, tzevuim (hypocrites), for in front of Bnei Adam you shut the Malchut HaShomayim. You do not go in yourselves, and the ones entering, you do not permit to enter.
14Oy to you, Sofrim and Perushim, tzevuim! You devour the batim of almanot and for the sake of chashuve (importance) appearance you make long tefillot; therefore your gezar din (verdict) will be more severe.
15Oy to you, Sofrim and Perushim, tzevuim. You travel over the sea and the dry land for the giyyur (proselytization) of one proselyte; then, when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehinnom as you.
16Oy to you, morei derech ivrim (blind guides), the, ones saying, Whoever swears by the Beis Hamikdash, it is a worthless shevuah (oath): but whoever swears by the gold of the Beis Hamikdash, he is obligated.
17Ivrim! (blind ones), for which is greater, the gold or the Beis Hamikdash which gives the gold its kedushah (holiness, sanctity)?
18And whoever swears by the Mizbeach (altar), it is worthless; but whoever swears by the korban upon it, he is obligated.
19Ivrim, blind ones, for which is greater, the korban or Mizbeach which gives the korban its kedushah (holiness, sanctity)?
20Therefore, the one having sworn by the Mizbeach swears by it and everything upon it.
21And the one having sworn by the Beis Hamikdash swears by it and by everything indwelling it.
22And the one having sworn by Shomayim swears by the kes malchut of Hashem and by the One sitting upon the kes malchut.
23Oy to you, Sofrim and Perushim, tzevuim, for you give maasros (tithe) of mint and dill and cumin, and you have neglected the matters of the Torah of greater consequence: mishpat, chesed, and emunah. These things it was necessary to do and those#23:23 others not to neglect.
24Morei derech ivrim (blind guides), the ones that strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.
25Oy to you, Sofrim and Perushim, tzevuim, you cleanse the outside of the kos (cup) and the dish, but inside they are full of chamdanut (greed) and taavanut (lust).
26Blind Parush, first cleanse the inside of the kos, that perhaps also the outside may become clean.
27Oy to you, Sofrim and Perushim, tzevuim, for you are like kevarim (graves) having been whitewashed, which on the outside indeed appear ois vaist (ostensibly) shein (beautiful), but on the inside are full of the unclean bones of the mesim (dead ones) and every trayfnyak.
28Thus on the outside you indeed appear tzaddikim (righteous ones) to Bnei Adam, but on the inside you are full of tzeviut (hypocrisy) and you are lawlessly against the Torah.
29Oy to you, Sofrim and Perushim, tzevuim, for you build kevarim of the Neviim and decorate matsevot (gravestones) of the tzaddikim,
30And you say, If we were in the yamim (days) of Avoteinu (our Fathers), we would not have been shuttafim (partners) with them in the dahm haNeviim (blood of the Prophets).
31Therefore, you are edim (witnesses) against yourselves that you are the banim (sons) of the ratzchaniyot (murderers) of the Neviim.
32And you fill up the measure of your Avot.
33Snakes, you banim of nachashim, how can you escape the Yom HaDin of Gehinnom?
34For this reason hinei! I send to you Neviim and Chachamim and Sofrim, some of whom you will kill and some you will make talui al haetz#23:34 Dt 21:23 (being hanged on the Tree) and some you will subject to the shot (whip) in your shuls, and you will drive them out from city to city,
35So that upon you may come all the dahm naki (innocent blood) shed upon the earth from the blood of Hevel to the blood of Zecharyah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the Heikhal and the Mizbeach.#23:35 trans. note: cf. Lk 11:51 for Mtʼs probable original text here
36Omein, I say to you, that all these things will come upon this generation.
37Yerushalayim, Yerushalayim, the ones that kill the Neviim and stone those having been sent to you! How often have I wanted to gather your yeladim, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you were not willing!
38Hinei! Look! KI LECHARBAH YIH'YEH HABEIT HAZEH#23:38 Jer 22:5 (for this House will become a ruin).#23:38 (i.e. churban)
39For I say to you, by no means will you see me#23:39 Moshiach from now until you say, BARUCH HABAH B'SHEM ADONOI.
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Mattityahu 23: TOJB2011
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.
Mattithyahu (Matthew) 23
23
1Then יהושע spoke to the crowds and to His taught ones,
2saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the seat of Mosheh.
3Therefore, whatever they#Four of eleven available Shem Toḇ texts read “he says”, referring to Mosheh, instead of “they say”, referring to the Pharisees. say to you to guard, guard and do. But do not do according to their works, for they say, and do not do.
4“For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders, but with their finger they do not wish to move them.
5And they do all their works to be seen by men, and they make their t’fillen#See Explanatory Notes - "T’fillen". wide and lengthen the tzitzit#See Explanatory Notes - "Tzitzit" and Num. 15:37-41; Deu. 22:12 of their garments,
6and they love the best place at feasts, and the best seats in the congregations,
7and the greetings in the market-places, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’#Rabbi - A Semitic term literally meaning “My Great One.”
8“But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi,’ for One is your Teacher, the Messiah, and you are all brothers.
9“And do not call anyone on earth your father, for One is your Father, He who is in the heavens.
10“Neither be called leaders, for One is your Leader, the Messiah.
11“But the greatest among you shall be your servant.
12“And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
13“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the reign of the heavens before men, for you do not go in, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
14“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you eat up widows’ houses, and for a show make long prayers. Because of this you shall receive greater judgment.
15“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you go about the land and the sea to win one convert, and when he is won, you make him a son of GĕHinnom twofold more than yourselves.
16“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the Dwelling Place, it does not matter, but whoever swears by the gold of the Dwelling Place, is bound by oath.’
17Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the Dwelling Place that sets the gold apart?”
18“And, ‘Whoever swears by the slaughter-place, it does not matter, but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, is bound by oath.’
19Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the slaughter-place that sets the gift apart?”
20“He, then, who swears by the slaughter-place, swears by it and by all that is upon it.
21“And he who swears by the Dwelling Place, swears by it and by Him who is dwelling in it.
22“And he who swears by the heaven, swears by the throne of Elohim and by Him who is sitting upon it.
23“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you tithe the mint and the anise and the cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the Torah: the right-ruling and the compassion and the belief.#The wording in Luke 11:42 is somewhat different. These need to have been done, without neglecting the others.
24“Blind guides – straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
25“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are filled with plunder and unrighteousness.
26“Blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside of them becomes clean too.
27“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you are like whitewashed tombs which outwardly indeed look well, but inside are filled with dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
28“So you too outwardly indeed appear righteous to men, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.#See Mat. 5:20
29“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous,
30and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in the blood of the prophets.’
31Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who did murder the prophets –
32and you fill up the measure of your fathers!
33“Serpents, brood of adders! How would you escape the judgment of GĕHinnom?
34“Because of this, see, I send you prophets, and wise men, and scholars of Scripture.#See Mat. 13:52 Some of them you shall kill and impale, and some of them you shall flog in your congregations and persecute from city to city,
35so that on you should come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Heḇel to the blood of Zeḵaryah, son of Bereḵyah, whom you murdered between the Dwelling Place and the slaughter-place.
36Truly, I say to you, all this shall come upon this generation.#Or ‘race’.
37“Yerushalayim, Yerushalayim, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to her! How often I wished to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you would not!
38See! Your house is left to you laid waste,# Jer. 22:5
39for I say to you, from now on you shall by no means see Me, until you say, ‘Blessed is He who is coming in the Name of יהוה!’ ”# Psa. 118:26
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