0 SAB Matthew 23

The kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins. 25:1

Trivia: What made Joseph decide return to Israel from Egypt?

Matthew

CHAPTER 23

Woe to scribes and Pharisees!
23:1-39, Cf. Lk 11:42-54

1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

Then Jesus spoke to his disciples and to the crowd, saying
The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses's seat.

3All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

Do as they say [1], not as they do.

4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

They lay heavy burdens on others, but do nothing to help.

5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

And whatever they do, they do so they can be seen. [2]

They wear their scriptures on their arms and foreheads, and have fancy tassels on their robes. [3]

6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

They love to take the best seats at banquets and in the synagogues.

7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

And to be greeted in the markets with "Rabbi, Rabbi".

8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

But none of you should be called Rabbi. You have one master is Christ. And all of you are brothers.

9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

Don't call anyone on earth father. [4] Your only father is in heaven.

10Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

And don't call anyone on earth master. [5] Your only master is Christ.

11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

Whoever is greatest among you will be your servant.

12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

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

13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Woe to you scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites!

You close the kingdom of heaven for men, but you won't go there yourselves.

14Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Woe to you scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites!

You devour widows' houses and make long prayers. You will receive the greatest damnation.

15Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Woe to you scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites!

You travel all over land and sea to make one convert, then make him twice as worthy of hell as you are.

16Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

Woe to you blind guides who say, "It's okay to swear by the temple, but not by the temple's gold.

17Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

You blind fools! [6]

Which is greater the temple or the gold?

18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.

You say, "It's okay to swear by the altar, but not by the gift that is on it."

19Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

You blind fools!

Which is greater, the gift or the altar?

20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

Whoever swears by the altar swears by it and all that is on it.

21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

Whoever swears by the temple swears by the temple and he who lives in the temple.

22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

Whoever swears by heaven swears by God and his throne.

23Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Woe to you scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites!

You pay your tithe of mint, anise, and cummin, but omit the important parts of the law, such as judgment, mercy, and faith.

24Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.

25Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

Woe to you, scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites!

You clean the outside of the cup and plate, but leave the inside full of greed and excess.

26Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

You blind Pharisee.

Clean the inside of the cup and plate, and the outside will be clean as well.

27Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

Woe to you scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites!

You are like whited tombs that appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are filled with dead people's bones and all unclean things.

28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

You appear righteous to others, but within you're filled with hypocrisy and sin.

29Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

30 And 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.

Woe to you scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites!

You build tombs for the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous, and say, "If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn't have killed the prophets."

31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

But you are the children of those who killed the prophets.

32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

So keep behaving like your fathers.

33Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

You serpents, you generation of vipers, how will you escape the damnation of hell?

34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes, and you crucify some of them, scourge them in your synagogues, and persecute them in the cities.

35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

You are guilty of all of the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. [7]

36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

All these things will come upon this generation.

37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

O Jerusalem, you kill the prophets, and stone those who are sent to you. How often I would have gathered your children together, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you refused!

38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

Your house will be desolate.

39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

You won't see me again until you say, "Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord." [8]
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