Matthew 23

Seven Woes

1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,2 “Thet experts in the lawt and the Phariseess sit on Moses’ seat.3 Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach.t4 Theyt tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them.5 Theyt do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteriess wide and their tasselsts long.6 Theyt love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagoguess7 and elaborate greetingss in the marketplaces, and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers.9 And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ.ts11 Thet greatest among you will be your servant.

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

13 “But woe to you, experts in the lawt and you Pharisees, hypocrites!t You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven!t For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.ss

15 “Woe to you, experts in the lawt and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert,t and when you get one,t you make him twice as much a child of hellts as yourselves!
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple is bound by nothing.t But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’17 Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing.t But if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by the oath.’19 You are blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and the one who dwells in it.

22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, experts in the lawt and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tentht of mint, dill, and cumin,s yet you neglect what is more important in the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness! Yous should have done these things without neglecting the others.

24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel!t
25 “Woe to you, experts in the lawt and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,s so that the outside may become clean too!
27 “Woe to you, experts in the lawt and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean.s

28 In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, experts in the lawt and you Pharisees, hypocrites! Yout build tombs for the prophets and decorate the gravest of the righteous.30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,t we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’31 By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.32 Fill up then the measure of your ancestors!

33 You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?ts
34 “For this reason It am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law,t some of whom you will kill and crucify,s and some you will flogt in your synagoguess and pursue from town to town,35 so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah,s whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

36 I tell you the truth,t this generation will be held responsible for all these things!t

Judgment on Israel

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,ss you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you!t How often I have longeds to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, butt you would have none of it!t38 Look, your house is left to you desolate!

39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”s

MATTHEW 23

Jesus Condemns the Pharisees //and the Teachers of //the Law of Moses

(Mark 12.38-40; Luke 11.37-52; 20.45-47)

1 Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
2 The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law are experts in the Law of Moses.

3 So obey everything they teach you, but don't do as they do. After all, they say one thing and do something else.
4 They pile heavy burdens on people's shoulders and won't lift a finger to help. 5 t Everything they do is just to show off in front of others. They even make a big show of wearing Scripture verses on their foreheads and arms, and they wear big tasselst for everyone to see. 6 They love the best seats at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues.

7 And when they are in the market, they like to have people greet them as their teachers.
8 But none of you should be called a teacher. You have only one teacher, and all of you are like brothers and sisters. 9 Don't call anyone on earth your father. All of you have the same Father in heaven. 10 None of you should be called the leader. The Messiah is your only leader. 11 t Whoever is the greatest should be the servant of the others.

12 t If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.

13-14 You Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. You won't go in yourselves, and you keep others from going in.t

15 You Pharisees and teachers of the Law of Moses are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You travel over land and sea to win one follower. And when you have done so, you make that person twice as fit for hell as you are.
16 You are in for trouble! You are supposed to lead others, but you are blind. You teach that it doesn't matter if a person swears by the temple. But you say it does matter if someone swears by the gold in the temple.

17 You blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
18 You also teach that it doesn't matter if a person swears by the altar. But you say it does matter if someone swears by the gift on the altar. 19 Are you blind? Which is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Anyone who swears by the altar also swears by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple also swears by God, who lives there.

22 t To swear by heaven is the same as swearing by God's throne and by the one who sits on that throne.
23  t You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your garden, such as mint, dill, and cumin. Yet you neglect the more important matters of the Law, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the important things you should have done, though you should not have left the others undone either.

24 You blind leaders! You strain out a small fly but swallow a camel.
25 You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You wash the outside of your cups and dishes, while inside there is nothing but greed and selfishness.

26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of a cup, and then the outside will also be clean.
27  t You Pharisees and teachers are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You're like tombs that have been whitewashed.t On the outside they are beautiful, but inside they are full of bones and filth.

28 That's what you are like. Outside you look good, but inside you are evil and only pretend to be good.
29 You Pharisees and teachers are nothing but show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You build monuments for the prophets and decorate the tombs of good people. 30 And you claim you would not have taken part with your ancestors in killing the prophets. 31 But you prove you really are the relatives of the ones who killed the prophets. 32 So keep on doing everything they did.

33 t You are nothing but snakes and the children of snakes! How can you escape going to hell?
34 I will send to you prophets and wise people and experts in the Law of Moses. You will kill them or nail them to a cross or beat them in your synagogues or chase them from town to town. 35 t That's why you will be held guilty for the murder of every good person, beginning with the good man Abel. This also includes Barachiah's son Zechariah, t the man you murdered between the temple and the altar.

36 I can promise that you people living today will be punished for all these things!

Jesus Loves Jerusalem

(Luke 13.34,35)

39 t You won't see me again until you say,
“Blessed is the one who comes
in the name of the Lord.”