MATTHÉÜS 23

Jesus berispe die skrifgeleerdes en Fariseërs.

(Mk. 12:38-40; Lk. 20:45-47.)

1 TOE thet Jesus die skare en sy dissipels toegespreek

2 en gesê: tDie skrifgeleerdes en die Fariseërs sit op die stoel van Moses.

3 Alles wat hulle dan vir julle mag sê om te onderhou, onderhou en doen dit; maar volgens hulle werke moet julle nie doen nie, want hulle praat en doen nie.

4  tWant hulle bind pakke saam wat swaar en moeilik is om te dra, en sit dit op die skouers van die mense, maar self wil hulle dit nie met hulle vinger verroer nie.

5 En hulle doen al hul werke tom deur die mense gesien te word, en thulle maak hul gedenkseëls breed en tdie some van hul klere groot.

6 En hulle hou van die voorste plekke by die maaltye en die voorste banke in die sinagoges

7 en die begroetinge op die markte en om deur die mense genoem te word: Rabbi, Rabbi!

8 Maar julle, laat jul nie Rabbi noem nie, want een is julle tleermeester: Christus, en julle is almal broeders.

9 En julle moet niemand op die aarde julle vader noem nie, twant een is julle Vader, Hy wat in die hemele is.

10 Julle moet julle ook nie leermeesters laat noem nie, want een is julle leermeester: Christus.

11 Maar tdie grootste van julle moet jul tdienaar wees.

12  tWie homself verhoog, sal verneder word, en wie homself verneder, sal verhoog word.

13 Maar wee julle, skrifgeleerdes en Fariseërs, geveinsdes, want tjulle sluit die koninkryk van die hemele toe voor die mense; want julle gaan self nie in nie, en die wat sou ingaan, laat julle nie toe om in te gaan nie.

14 Wee julle, skrifgeleerdes en Fariseërs, geveinsdes, twant julle eet die huise van die weduwees op, en doen vir die skyn lang gebede. Daarom sal julle ’n swaarder oordeel ontvang.

15 Wee julle, skrifgeleerdes en Fariseërs, geveinsdes, want julle trek rond oor see en land om een bekeerling te maak; en as hy dit geword het, maak julle hom ’n kind van die hel, twee maal erger as julle self.

16 Wee julle, blinde leiers, julle wat sê: tElkeen wat sweer by die tempel — dit is niks nie; maar elkeen wat sweer by die goud van die tempel, hy is gebonde.

17 Julle dwase en blindes, want wat is meer: die goud, of tdie tempel wat die goud heilig?

18 En: Elkeen wat sweer by die altaar — dit is niks nie; maar elkeen wat sweer by die gawe daar bo-op, hy is gebonde.

19 Julle dwase en blindes, want wat is meer: die gawe, of tdie altaar wat die gawe heilig?

20 Wie dan sweer by die altaar, sweer dáárby en by alles wat daarop is;

21 en wie sweer by die tempel, sweer dáárby en by tHom wat daarin woon;

22 en wie sweer by die hemel, sweer by die troon van God en by Hom wat daarop sit.

23 Wee julle, skrifgeleerdes en Fariseërs, geveinsdes, want julle gee tiendes van kruisement en anys en koljander, en die swaarste van die twet laat julle ná: die reg en die barmhartigheid en die trou. Hierdie dinge behoort julle te doen sonder om die ander na te laat.

24 Blinde leiers, julle wat die muggie uitsif, maar die kameel insluk!

25 Wee julle, skrifgeleerdes en Fariseërs, geveinsdes, twant julle maak die buitekant van die tbeker en die skottel skoon, maar binnekant is dit vol roof en onmatigheid.

26 Blinde Fariseër, maak eers die binnekant van die beker en die skottel skoon, sodat ook die buitekant daarvan skoon kan word.

27 Wee julle, skrifgeleerdes en Fariseërs, geveinsdes, want julle is net soos tgewitte grafte wat van buite wel fraai lyk, maar van binne vol doodsbene en tallerhande onreinheid is.

28 So lyk julle ook van buite vir die mense wel regverdig, maar van binne is julle vol geveinsdheid en ongeregtigheid.

29 Wee julle, skrifgeleerdes en Fariseërs, geveinsdes, want julle bou die grafte van die profete en tversier die grafstene van die regverdiges;

30 en julle sê: As ons in die dae van ons vaders geleef het, sou ons geen deel met hulle gehad het aan die bloed van die profete nie.

31 Julle gee dus teen julself getuienis tdat julle kinders is van die wat die profete vermoor het.

32 Maak die maat van julle vaders dan vol!

33 Slange, taddergeslag, hoe sal julle die oordeel van die hel ontvlug?

34  tDaarom, kyk, Ek stuur profete en wyse manne en skrifgeleerdes na julle toe, en julle sal sommige van hulle doodmaak en kruisig en tsommige van hulle in jul sinagoges gésel en van die een stad na die ander vervolg,

35 sodat toor julle kan kom al die regverdige bloed wat vergiet is op die aarde, van die bloed van die regverdige tAbel af tot op die bloed van tSagaría, die seun van tBerégja, wat julle vermoor het tussen die tempel en die altaar.

36 Voorwaar Ek sê vir julle, al hierdie dinge sal oor hierdie geslag kom.

37  tJerusalem, Jerusalem, jy wat die profete doodmaak en stenig dié wat na jou gestuur is, hoe dikwels wou Ek jou kinders bymekaarmaak net soos ’n hen haar kuikens onder die vlerke bymekaarmaak, en julle wou nie!

38 Kyk, julle huis word vir julle woes gelaat!
39 Want Ek sê vir julle: Julle sal My van nou af sekerlik nie sien nie totdat julle sal sê: tGeseënd is Hy wat kom in die Naam van die Here!

Matthew 23

1  THEN JESUS said to the multitudes and to His disciples,2  The scribes and Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat [of authority].3  So observe and practice all they tell you; but do not do what they do, for they preach, but do not practice.4  They tie up heavy loads, hard to bear , and place them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger to help bear them.5  They do all their works to be seen of men; for they make wide their phylacteries (small cases enclosing certain Scripture passages, worn during prayer on the left arm and forehead) and make long their fringes [worn by all male Israelites, according to the command]. 6  And they take pleasure in and [thus] love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues,7  And to be greeted with honor in the marketplaces and to have people call them rabbi.8  But you are not to be called rabbi (teacher), for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers.9  And do not call anyone [in the church] on earth father, for you have one Father, Who is in heaven.10  And you must not be called masters (leaders), for you have one Master (Leader), the Christ.11  He who is greatest among you shall be your servant.12  Whoever exalts himself [with haughtiness and empty pride] shall be humbled (brought low), and whoever humbles himself [whoever has a modest opinion of himself and behaves accordingly] shall be raised to honor.13  But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces; for you neither enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who are about to go in to do so.14  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you swallow up widows’ houses and for a pretense to cover it up make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation and the heavier sentence. 15  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes one [a proselyte], you make him doubly as much a child of hell (Gehenna) as you are.16  Woe to you, blind guides, who say, If anyone swears by the sanctuary of the temple, it is nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the sanctuary, he is a debtor [bound by his oath].17  You blind fools! For which is greater: the gold, or the sanctuary of the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18  You say too, Whoever swears by the altar is not duty bound; but whoever swears by the offering on the altar, his oath is binding.19  You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar which makes the gift sacred?20  So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.21  And he who swears by the sanctuary of the temple swears by it and by Him Who dwells in it. [I Kings 8:13; Ps. 26:8.]22  And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by Him Who sits upon it.23  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you give a tenth of your mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected and omitted the weightier (more important) matters of the Law--right and justice and mercy and fidelity. These you ought [particularly] to have done, without neglecting the others.24  You blind guides, filtering out a gnat and gulping down a camel! 25  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but within they are full of extortion (prey, spoil, plunder) and grasping self-indulgence.26  You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside may be clean also.27  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you are like tombs that have been whitewashed, which look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything impure.28  Just so, you also outwardly seem to people to be just and upright but inside you are full of pretense and lawlessness and iniquity. 29  Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous,30  Saying, If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have aided them in shedding the blood of the prophets.31  Thus you are testifying against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.32  Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ sins to the brim [so that nothing may be wanting to a full measure].33  You serpents! You spawn of vipers! How can you escape the penalty to be suffered in hell (Gehenna)?34  Because of this, take notice: I am sending you prophets and wise men (interpreters and teachers) and scribes (men learned in the Mosaic Law and the Prophets); some of them you will kill, even crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue and persecute from town to town,35  So that upon your heads may come all the blood of the righteous (those who correspond to the divine standard of right) shed on earth, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar [of burnt offering]. 36  Truly I declare to you, all these [evil, calamitous times] will come upon this generation. [II Chron. 36:15, 16.]37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, murdering the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a mother fowl gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused!38  Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate (abandoned and left destitute of God’s help). [I Kings 9:7; Jer. 22:5.]39  For I declare to you, you will not see Me again until you say, Blessed (magnified in worship, adored, and exalted) is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!