Matthew 23
23
Religious Hypocrites Denounced
1Then # Mk 12:38-39; Lk 20:45-46 Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples: # Mt 10:42; 28:19; Lk 14:26; Jn 8:31; 13:35; 15:8; Ac 6:1 2“The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses. # Perhaps a special chair for teaching in synagogues, or a metaphorical phrase for teaching with Moses’ authority # Ezr 7:6,25; Neh 8:4 3Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don’t do what they do, # Lit do according to their works because they don’t practice what they teach. # Mt 5:20; 15:3-9; Rm 2:17-23 4They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry # Other mss omit that are hard to carry and put them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger # Lit lift with their finger to move them. # Lk 11:46; Ac 15:10; Gl 6:13 5They do everything # Lit do all their works to be observed by others: They enlarge their phylacteries # Small leather boxes containing OT texts, worn by Jews on their arms and foreheads # Ex 13:9; Dt 6:8; 11:18; Mt 6:1,5,16 and lengthen their tassels. # Other mss add on their robes # Mt 9:20; 14:36; Mk 6:56; Lk 8:44 6They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues, # Lk 11:43; 14:7; 20:46 7greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people.
8“But as for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher, # Other mss add the Messiah and you are all brothers. # Mk 9:5; 10:51; Jn 1:38,49; 11:8; Jms 3:1 9Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven. # Mal 1:6; Mt 6:9; 7:11 10And do not be called masters either, because you have one Master, # Or Teacher the Messiah. 11The greatest among you will be your servant. # Mt 20:26-27; Mk 9:35; 3Jn 9 12Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. # Pr 29:23; Ezk 21:26; Lk 14:11; 18:14; Jms 4:6,10; 1Pt 5:5-6
13“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You lock up the kingdom of heaven from people. For you don’t go in, and you don’t allow those entering to go in. # Mt 23:15,23,25; Lk 11:52
14“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows’ houses and make long prayers just for show. # Or prayers with false motivation This is why you will receive a harsher punishment. # Other mss omit bracketed text
15“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one proselyte, # Ac 2:11; 6:5; 13:43 and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell # Lit twice the son of gehenna as you are!
16“Woe to you, blind guides, # Mt 15:14; 23:24; Ac 1:16; Rm 2:19 who say, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the sanctuary, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath # Lv 19:12; Nm 30:2; Dt 23:21; Mt 5:33; 14:7; 26:63,72 by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by his oath.’ # Lit is obligated 17Blind fools! # Lit Fools and blind For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that sanctified the gold? 18Also, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.’ # Lit is obligated 19Blind people! # Other mss read Fools and blind For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? # Ex 29:37; 30:29 20Therefore, the one who takes an oath by the altar takes an oath by it and by everything on it. 21The one who takes an oath by the sanctuary takes an oath by it and by Him who dwells # 1Kg 8:13; 2Ch 6:2; Ps 26:8; 132:14 in it. 22And the one who takes an oath by heaven takes an oath by God’s throne # Ex 17:16; Ps 11:4; Mt 5:34; Heb 8:1 and by Him who sits on it. # Ps 47:8; Mt 19:28; Rv 4:2
23“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of # Or You tithe mint, dill, and cumin, # A plant whose seeds are used as a seasoning yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law — justice, # 1Sm 15:22; Ps 33:5; Jr 5:1; Mc 6:8; Zch 7:9; Lk 11:42 mercy, and faith. These things should have been done without neglecting the others. 24Blind guides! # Mt 15:14; 23:16 You strain out a gnat, yet gulp down a camel!
25“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed # Or full of violence and self-indulgence! # Mk 7:4; Lk 11:39 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, # Other mss add and dish so the outside of it # Other mss read of them may also become clean.
27“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, # Lk 11:44; Ac 23:3 which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every impurity. 28In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have taken part with them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ # Lit have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets 31You, therefore, testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ sins! # Lit the measure of your fathers # Gn 15:16; Ac 7:51; 1Th 2:15-16
33“Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell? # Lit escape from the judgment of gehenna # Mt 3:7; 5:22; 12:34 34This is why I am sending you prophets, # Ac 13:1; 1Co 12:28 sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues # 2Ch 36:15-16; Mt 10:17; Ac 22:19 and hound from town to town. 35So all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be charged to you, # Lit will come on you from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, # 2Ch 24:21; Zch 1:1 son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. # Gn 4:8; Heb 11:4; 1Jn 3:12; Rv 18:24 36I assure you: All these things will come on this generation! # Mt 10:23; 16:28; 24:34
Jesus’ Lamentation over Jerusalem
37“Jerusalem, Jerusalem! # Lk 13:34-35 She who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks # Or as a mother bird gathers her young under her wings, yet you were not willing! # Dt 32:11-12; Ru 2:12; Mt 5:12 38See, your house is left to you desolate. # 1Kg 9:7; Is 64:11; Jr 12:7; 22:5 39For I tell you, you will never see Me again until you say, ‘He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One’! ” # Ps 118:26; Mt 21:9 # Ps 118:26
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Matthew 23: HCSB
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Matthew 23
23
Jesus Warns against the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees
(Mk 12.38–39; Lk 11.43, 46; 20.45–46)
1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples. 2“The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees are the authorized interpreters of Moses' Law. 3So you must obey and follow everything they tell you to do; do not, however, imitate their actions, because they don't practise what they preach. 4They tie on to people's backs loads that are heavy and hard to carry, yet they aren't willing even to lift a finger to help them carry those loads. 5#Mt 6.1; Num 15.38; Deut 6.8They do everything so that people will see them. Look at the straps with scripture verses on them which they wear on their foreheads and arms, and notice how large they are! Notice also how long are the tassels on their cloaks!#23.5 tassels on their cloaks: These tassels were worn as a sign of devotion to God (see Num 15.37–41). 6They love the best places at feasts and the reserved seats in the synagogues; 7they love to be greeted with respect in the market places and to be called ‘Teacher’. 8You must not be called ‘Teacher’, because you are all members of one family and have only one Teacher. 9And you must not call anyone here on earth ‘Father’, because you have only the one Father in heaven. 10Nor should you be called ‘Leader’, because your one and only leader is the Messiah. 11#Mt 20.26–27; Mk 9.35; 10.43–44; Lk 22.26The greatest one among you must be your servant. 12#Lk 14.11; 18.14Whoever makes himself great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be made great.
Jesus Condemns their Hypocrisy
(Mk 12.40; Lk 11.39–42, 44, 52; 20.47)
13 “How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You lock the door to the Kingdom of heaven in people's faces, and you yourselves don't go in, nor do you allow in those who are trying to enter! # 23.13 Some manuscripts add verse 14: How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You take advantage of widows and rob them of their homes, and then make a show of saying long prayers! Because of this your punishment will be all the worse! (see Mk 12.40).
15 “How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You sail the seas and cross whole countries to win one convert; and when you succeed, you make him twice as deserving of going to hell as you yourselves are!
16 “How terrible for you, blind guides! You teach, ‘If someone swears by the Temple, he isn't bound by his vow; but if he swears by the gold in the Temple, he is bound.’ 17Blind fools! Which is more important, the gold or the Temple which makes the gold holy? 18You also teach, ‘If someone swears by the altar, he isn't bound by his vow; but if he swears by the gift on the altar, he is bound.’ 19How blind you are! Which is the more important, the gift or the altar which makes the gift holy? 20So then, when a person swears by the altar, he is swearing by it and by all the gifts on it; 21and when he swears by the Temple, he is swearing by it and by God, who lives there; 22#Is 66.1; Mt 5.34and when someone swears by heaven, he is swearing by God's throne and by him who sits on it.
23 #
Lev 27.30
“How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You give to God a tenth even of the seasoning herbs, such as mint, dill, and cumin, but you neglect to obey the really important teachings of the Law, such as justice and mercy and honesty. These you should practise, without neglecting the others. 24Blind guides! You strain a fly out of your drink, but swallow a camel!
25 “How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You clean the outside of your cup and plate, while the inside is full of what you have obtained by violence and selfishness. 26Blind Pharisee! Clean what is inside the cup first, and then the outside will be clean too!
27 #
Acts 23.3
“How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look fine on the outside but are full of bones and decaying corpses on the inside. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear good to everybody, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and sins.
Jesus Predicts their Punishment
(Lk 11.47–51)
29 “How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You make fine tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of those who lived good lives; 30and you claim that if you had lived during the time of your ancestors, you would not have done what they did and killed the prophets. 31So you actually admit that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets! 32Go on, then, and finish what your ancestors started! 33#Mt 3.7; 12.34; Lk 3.7You snakes and children of snakes! How do you expect to escape from being condemned to hell? 34And so I tell you that I will send you prophets and wise men and teachers; you will kill some of them, crucify others, and whip others in the synagogues and chase them from town to town. 35#Gen 4.8; 2 Chr 24.20–21As a result, the punishment for the murder of all innocent people will fall on you, from the murder of innocent Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the Temple and the altar. 36I tell you indeed: the punishment for all these murders will fall on the people of this day!
Jesus' Love for Jerusalem
(Lk 13.34–35)
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone the messengers God has sent you! How many times have I wanted to put my arms round all your people, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not let me! 38#Jer 22.5And so your Temple will be abandoned and empty. 39#Ps 118.26From now on, I tell you, you will never see me again until you say, ‘God bless him who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.