Mathayo 23

Yesu anawalaumu waalimu wa sheria na Mafarisayo

(Marko 12:38-39; Luka 11:43,46; 20:45-46)

1 Kisha Yesu akauambia umati wa watu pamoja na wanafunzi wake, 2 “Waalimu wa sheria na Mafarisayo wana mamlaka ya kufafanua sheria ya Mose. 3 Kwa hiyo shikeni na kutekeleza chochote watakachowaambieni. Lakini msiyaige matendo yao, maana hawatekelezi yale wanayoyahubiri. 4 Hufunga mizigo mizito na kuwatwika watu mabegani, lakini wao wenyewe hawataki kunyosha hata kidole wapate kuibeba. 5 Wao hufanya matendo yao yote ili watu wawaone. Huvaa tepe zenye maandishi ya sheria juu ya panda la uso na mikononi na hupanua pindo za makoti yao. 6 Hupenda nafasi za heshima katika karamu na viti vya heshima katika masunagogi. 7 Hupenda kusalimiwa kwa heshima sokoni na kupendelea kuitwa na watu: ‘Mwalimu.’ 8 Lakini nyinyi msiitwe kamwe ‘Mwalimu,’ maana mwalimu wenu ni mmoja tu, nanyi nyote ni ndugu. 9 Wala msimwite mtu yeyote ‘Baba’ hapa duniani, maana Baba yenu ni mmoja tu, aliye mbinguni. 10 Wala msiitwe ‘Viongozi,’ maana kiongozi wenu ni mmoja tu, ndiye Kristo. 11 Aliye mkubwa miongoni mwenu ni lazima awe mtumishi wenu. 12 Anayejikweza atashushwa, na anayejishusha atakwezwa.

Yesu analaumu unafiki

(Marko 12:40; Luka 11:39-42,44,52; 20:47)

13 “Ole wenu waalimu wa sheria na Mafarisayo, wanafiki! Mnaufunga mlango wa ufalme wa mbinguni mbele ya macho ya watu. Nyinyi wenyewe hamwingii ndani, wala hamwaruhusu wanaotaka kuingia waingie. [ 14 Ole wenu waalimu wa sheria na Mafarisayo, wanafiki! Mnawanyonya wajane na kujisingizia kuwa watu wema kwa kusali sala ndefu. Kwa sababu hiyo mtapata adhabu kali.] (Taz Marko 12:40).

15 “Ole wenu waalimu wa sheria na Mafarisayo, wanafiki! Mnasafiri baharini na nchi kavu ili kumpata mtu mmoja afuate dini yenu. Mnapompata, mnamfanya astahili maradufu kwenda katika moto wa Jehanamu kuliko nyinyi wenyewe.

16 “Ole wenu viongozi vipofu! Nyinyi mwasema ati mtu akiapa kwa hekalu, kiapo hicho si kitu; lakini akiapa kwa dhahabu ya hekalu, kiapo hicho kinamshika. 17 Enyi vipofu wapumbavu! Kipi kilicho cha maana zaidi: Dhahabu au hekalu linalofanya hiyo dhahabu kuwa takatifu? 18 Tena mwasema ati mtu akiapa kwa madhabahu si kitu; lakini akiapa kwa zawadi iliyowekwa juu ya madhabahu, kiapo hicho humshika. 19 Enyi vipofu! Ni kipi kilicho cha maana zaidi: Ile zawadi, au madhabahu ambayo hufanya hiyo zawadi kuwa takatifu? 20 Anayeapa kwa madhabahu ameapa kwa hiyo madhabahu, na kwa chochote kilichowekwa juu yake. 21 Na anayeapa kwa hekalu ameapa kwa hilo hekalu na pia kwa yule akaaye ndani yake. 22 Na anayeapa kwa mbingu ameapa kwa kiti cha enzi cha Mungu, na kwa huyo aketiye juu yake. 23 Ole wenu waalimu wa sheria na Mafarisayo, wanafiki! Mnatoza watu sehemu moja ya kumi, hata juu ya majani yenye harufu nzuri, bizari na jira, na huku mnaacha mambo muhimu ya sheria kama vile haki, huruma na imani. Haya ndio hasa mliyopaswa kuyazingatia bila kusahau yale mengine. 24 Viongozi vipofu! Mnatoa nzi katika kinywaji, lakini mnameza ngamia!

25 “Ole wenu waalimu wa sheria na Mafarisayo, wanafiki! Mnasafisha kikombe na bakuli kwa nje, lakini ndani mnaacha kumejaa vitu mlivyopata kwa unyanganyi na uchoyo. 26 Mfarisayo kipofu! Kisafishe kikombe ndani kwanza na nje kutakuwa safi pia.

27 “Ole wenu waalimu wa sheria na Mafarisayo, wanafiki! Mko kama makaburi yaliyopakwa chokaa ambayo kwa nje yanaonekana kuwa mazuri, lakini ndani yamejaa mifupa ya maiti na kila namna ya uchafu. 28 Hali kadhalika nyinyi mnaonekana na watu kwa nje kuwa wema, lakini kwa ndani mmejaa unafiki na uovu.

Adhabu inakuja

(Luka 11:47-51)

29 “Ole wenu waalimu wa sheria na Mafarisayo, wanafiki! Mnajenga makaburi ya manabii na kuyapamba makaburi ya watu wema. 30 Mwasema: ‘Kama sisi tungaliishi nyakati za wazee wetu hatungalishirikiana nao katika mauaji ya manabii!’ 31 Hivyo mnathibitisha nyinyi wenyewe kwamba nyinyi ni watoto wa watu waliowaua manabii. 32 Haya, kamilisheni ile kazi wazee wenu waliyoianza! 33 Enyi kizazi cha nyoka wenye sumu! Mnawezaje kuiepa hukumu ya moto wa Jehanamu? 34 Ndio maana mimi ninawapelekea nyinyi manabii, watu wenye hekima na waalimu; mtawaua na kuwasulubisha baadhi yao, na wengine mtawapiga viboko katika masunagogi yenu na kuwasaka katika kila mji. 35 Hivyo lawama yote itawapateni kwa ajili ya damu yote ya watu wema iliyomwagwa juu ya ardhi. Naam, tangu kumwagwa damu ya Abeli ambaye hakuwa na hatia, mpaka ile ya Zakaria, mwana wa Barakia, ambaye mlimuua hekaluni kati ya patakatifu na madhabahu. 36 Nawaambieni kweli, kizazi hiki kitapata adhabu kwa sababu ya mambo haya.

Jinsi Yesu alivyoupenda mji wa Yerusalemu

(Luka 13:34-35)

37 “Yerusalemu! Ee Yerusalemu! Unawaua manabii na kuwapiga mawe wale waliotumwa kwako. Mara ngapi nimejaribu kuwakusanya watoto wako kwangu, kama vile kuku anavyokusanya vifaranga vyake chini ya mabawa yake, lakini hukutaka. 38 Haya basi, nyumba yako itaachwa mahame. 39 t Nakuambia, hutaniona tena mpaka wakati utakaposema: ‘Abarikiwe huyo ajaye kwa jina la Bwana.’”

Matthew 23

1 Then spake Jesus to the multitudes and to his disciples,2 saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses seat:3 all things therefore whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not.4 Yea, they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger.5 But all their works they do to be seen of men: for they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,6 and love the chief place at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,7 and the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called of men, Rabbi.8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your teacher, and all ye are brethren.9 And call no man your father on the earth: for one is your Father, even he who is in heaven.10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, even the Christ.11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.

13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye enter not in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to enter.14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, even while for a pretence ye make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive greater condemnation.

15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is become so, ye make him twofold more a son of hell than yourselves.

16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor.17 Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold?18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, he is a debtor.19 Ye blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?20 He therefore that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.21 And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.22 And he that sweareth by the heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith: but these ye ought to have done, and not to have left the other undone.24 Ye blind guides, that strain out the gnat, and swallow the camel!

25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full from extortion and excess.26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean also.

27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous,30 and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.31 Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets.32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.33 Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell?34 Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them shall ye kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city:35 that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the altar.36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!38 Behold, your house is left unto you 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.