MT. 23

Yesu Awakana Waandishi na Mafarisayo

1  tKisha Yesu akawaambia makutano na wanafunzi wake, akasema, 2 Waandishi na Mafarisayo wameketi katika kiti cha Musa; 3 tbasi, yo yote watakayowaambia, myashike na kuyatenda; lakini kwa mfano wa matendo yao, msitende; maana wao hunena lakini hawatendi. 4 Wao hufunga mizigo mizito na kuwatwika watu mabegani mwao; wasitake wenyewe kuigusa kwa kidole chao. 5 tTena matendo yao yote huyatenda ili kutazamwa na watu; kwa kuwa hupanua hirizi zao, huongeza matamvua yao; 6 thupenda viti vya mbele katika karamu, na kuketi mbele katika masinagogi, 7 na kusalimiwa masokoni, na kuitwa na watu, Rabi.

8 Bali ninyi msiitwe Rabi, maana mwalimu wenu ni mmoja, nanyi nyote ni ndugu.
9 Wala msimwite mtu baba duniani; maana Baba yenu ni mmoja, aliye wa mbinguni. 10 Wala msiitwe viongozi; maana kiongozi wenu ni mmoja, naye ndiye Kristo. 11 tNaye aliye mkubwa wenu atakuwa mtumishi wenu.

12 tNa ye yote atakayejikweza, atadhiliwa; na ye yote atakayejidhili, atakwezwa.

13 Ole wenu waandishi na Mafarisayo, wanafiki! Kwa kuwa mnawafungia watu ufalme wa mbinguni; ninyi wenyewe hamwingii, wala wanaoingia hamwaachi waingie.

14 [Ole wenu waandishi na Mafarisayo, wanafiki! Kwa kuwa mnakula nyumba za wajane, na kwa unafiki mnasali sala ndefu; kwa hiyo mtapata hukumu iliyo kubwa zaidi.]

15 Ole wenu waandishi na Mafarisayo, wanafiki! Kwa kuwa mnazunguka katika bahari na nchi kavu ili kumfanya mtu mmoja kuwa mwongofu; na akiisha kufanyika, mnamfanya kuwa mwana wa jehanum mara mbili zaidi kuliko ninyi wenyewe.
16  tOle wenu viongozi vipofu, ninyi msemao, Mtu atakayeapa kwa hekalu, si kitu; bali mtu atakayeapa kwa dhahabu ya hekalu, amejifunga. 17 Wapumbavu ninyi na vipofu; maana ni ipi iliyo kubwa, ile dhahabu, au lile hekalu liitakasalo dhahabu? 18 Tena, Mtu atakayeapa kwa madhabahu, si kitu; bali mtu atakayeapa kwa sadaka iliyo juu yake, amejifunga. 19 tVipofu ninyi; maana ni ipi iliyo kubwa, ile sadaka, au ile madhabahu iitakasayo sadaka? 20 Basi yeye aapaye kwa madhabahu, huapa kwa hiyo, na kwa vitu vyote vilivyo juu yake. 21 Naye aapaye kwa hekalu, huapa kwa hilo, na kwa yeye akaaye ndani yake.

22 tNaye aapaye kwa mbingu, huapa kwa kiti cha enzi cha Mungu, na kwa yeye aketiye juu yake.
23  tOle wenu waandishi na Mafarisayo, wanafiki! Kwa kuwa mnalipa zaka za mnanaa na bizari na jira, lakini mmeacha mambo makuu ya sheria, yaani, adili, na rehema, na imani; hayo imewapasa kuyafanya, wala yale mengine msiyaache.

24 Viongozi vipofu, wenye kuchuja mbu na kumeza ngamia.
25  tOle wenu waandishi na Mafarisayo, wanafiki! Kwa kuwa mnasafisha nje ya kikombe na chano, na ndani yake vimejaa unyang’anyi na kutokuwa na kiasi.

26 tEwe Farisayo kipofu, safisha kwanza ndani ya kikombe, ili nje yake nayo ipate kuwa safi.
27  tOle wenu, waandishi na Mafarisayo, wanafiki! Kwa kuwa mmefanana na makaburi yaliyopakwa chokaa, nayo kwa nje yaonekana kuwa mazuri, bali ndani yamejaa mifupa ya wafu, na uchafu wote.

28 tVivyo hivyo ninyi nanyi, kwa nje mwaonekana na watu kuwa wenye haki, bali ndani mmejaa unafiki na maasi.
29 Ole wenu, waandishi na Mafarisayo, wanafiki! Kwa kuwa mnayajenga makaburi ya manabii, na kuyapamba maziara ya wenye haki, 30 na kusema, Kama sisi tungalikuwako zamani za baba zetu, hatungalishirikiana nao katika damu ya manabii. 31 tHivi mwajishuhudia wenyewe, ya kwamba ninyi ni wana wao waliowaua manabii. 32 Kijazeni basi kipimo cha baba zenu. 33 tEnyi nyoka, wana wa majoka, mtaikimbiaje hukumu ya jehanum? 34 tKwa sababu hiyo, angalieni, mimi natuma kwenu manabii na wenye hekima na waandishi; na wengine wao ninyi mtawaua na kuwasulibisha, na wengine wao mtawapiga katika masinagogi yenu, na kuwafukuza mji kwa mji; 35 thivyo ije juu yenu damu yote ya haki iliyomwagika juu ya nchi, tangu damu ya Habili, yule mwenye haki, hata damu ya Zakaria bin Barakia, mliyemwua kati ya patakatifu na madhabahu.

36 Amin, nawaambieni, Mambo hayo yote yatakuja juu ya kizazi hiki.

Maombolezo juu ya Yerusalemu

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.”