Matthew 23
Literal Emphasis Translation Par ▾ 
1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees have sat upon Moses’ seat; 3All things therefore, as much as they might tell you, do and keep. However do not do according to their works. For they speak and do not do. 4And they bind together heavy and difficult to carry (oppressive) burdens and lay them upon the shoulders of men; however they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5And all their works, they do to be spectated (greek-theatenai-english root for theater) of men. For they broaden their phylacteries and enlarge (make great) their tassles. 6And they love (philousin- are fond of) the chief (first) place in the banquets (dinners, suppers) and the first (chief) seats in the synagogues, 7And the greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, Rabbi. 8However you shall not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher and you are all brothers. 9And do not call any one upon the earth father; for One is your Father, who is in heaven. 10Neither be called leading instructors (lead down, like to lead down the road of learning, in modern greek this refers to a professor); because One is your Leading Instructor, the Christ. 11And the greatest among you will be your servant (diakonos). 12And he who will exalt (raise high, elevate) himself will be humbled (made low); and whoever will humble himself will be exalted.

13Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the kingdom of the heavens before men; for you neither enter nor even do you allow those who are entering to go into. 14{not in vulgate, Darby, ESV, and many other translations- Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you devour the houses of widows and are praying at great length as a pretense. Because of this, you shall receive greater (abundant, exceeding) judgment (condemnation).}

15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you traverse (go about/around) the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte, and when he has become so, you make him twice as much (double, twofold) a son of hell (gehenna) than yourselves.

16Woe to you, blind guides, those saying, Whoever shall swear by (in) the temple, it is nothing; however whoever shall swear by the gold of the temple is obligated. 17Moronic (dull/stupid) and blind! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple having sanctified the gold? 18And, whoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; however whoever shall swear by the gift that is on top of it is obligated. 19You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar sanctifying the gift? 20He who therefore having sworn by the altar swears by it and by all things that are on top of it. 21And the one having sworn by the temple, swears by it, and by the One residing in it. 22And he who having sworn by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by the One sitting on top of it.

23Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin; and you have left alone (neglected) the weightier matters of the law: judgment (krisin, justice) and mercy and faithfulness. And these you ought to do and not have left alone (neglected) those ones. 24Blind guides! Those thoroughly straining the gnat, and swallowing the camel!

25Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hyprocites! Because you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish; however inside, they are full of rapine (greed-laden violent seizing, plundering, greek-harpages, latin-rapina-robbery) and intemperance (self-indulgent because not prevailing in controlling urges/appetites). 26Blind Pharisee! Cleanse first the inside of the cup and the dish, so that their outside might also become clean.

27Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you resemble tombs having been whitewashed (plastered over), which outwardly appear seasonable (fruitful because fully developed, beautiful because in season). However inside they are full of dead bones and of all impurity. 28So also, you outwardly appear righteous to men, however inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments (memorials) of the righteous, 30And you 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. 31Thus you bear witness to yourselves, that you are sons of those having murdered the prophets. 32And you, you fill up the measure of your fathers. 33Serpents, offspring of vipers (poisonous snakes), how shall you escape from the sentence (judgment) of hell (gehenna)?

34Because of this, behold, I send to you prophets and wise men and scribes. From out of them you will kill and will crucify and from out of them you will flog in your synagogues, and will persecute from city unto city; 35So that all the righteous blood being poured out upon the earth should come upon you from the blood of Abel the righteous up to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

37Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those having been sent to her! How often would I have gathered together your children, as in the manner (way, fashion) as a hen gathers together (gathers upon) her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing! 38Behold, your house is left to you, desolate! 39For I say to you, You shall not see Me from now until you say, Blessed is the One coming in the name of the Lord!


Matthew 22
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