Matthew 23
Seven Woes
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples 2 saying: Upon the seat of Moses the scribes and Pharisees sit. 3 All therefore that they say to you, do and keep, but do not be doing according to their deeds, for they say and do not do. 4 They bind heavy burdens and place them on the shoulders of men, but they will not move them with their finger. 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men, for the enlarge their phylacteries and lengthen their hems, 6 And they philia-love the place of honor in banquets and the first seats in the synagogues 7 and the salutations in the synagogues and to be called by men Rabbi. 8 But do not be called Rabbi1, for one is your teacher, and all [of] you are brothers. 9 And do not call [anyone] your father on the earth, for one is your father in the heavens2. 10 neither be called leaders3, for your leader4 is one, the Christ. 11 But the greater of you will be your servant. 12 But whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you shut the kingdom of the heavens before men. For you yourselves do not enter, neither do you permit the entering to enter. 14 5 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you devour widow's houses and in pretense make long prayers. Because of this you will receive greater judgment. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you travel about sea and land to make one proselyte, and whenever he is made, you make him twice the son of Gehenna6 you [are].
16 Woe to you, blind guides who say: Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing, but whoever swears by the gold in the temple, he transgresses7. 17 Stupid and blind-men, for which is greater, the gold or the temple which made the gold holy? 18 And, Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing, but whoever swears by the gift upon it, he transgresses8. 19 Stupid and9 blind, for which is greater, the gift or the altar making the gift holy? 20 Therefore the [one] who swore by the altar swears by it and by all upon it, 21 and the [one] who swore by the temple swears by it and by what10 inhabits it, 22 and the [one] who swore by heaven swears by the throne of God and the [one] sitting on it.
23 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and omit the weightier [things] of the Law: judgement and mercy and faith. These you ought to do and not leave the others undone. 24 Blind guides, straining out [a] gnat, but swallowing [a] camel.
25 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you clean the outside of the cup and dish, but within they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisees, first clean the inside of the cup that the outside also may become clean.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you are like white-washed graves that outside appear lovely, but inside are full of bones and every uncleanness. 28 Thus you also outside seem just to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the graves of the just, 30 and you say: If we were in the days of our fathers, we would not have been their partners in the blood of the prophets. 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those having murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Serpents, generation of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of Gehenna6? 34 For this reason behold I send to you prophets and wise and scribes. Some you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in you synagogues and persecute from city to city,
35 in order that all the just blood come upon you poured upon the land from the blood of just Abel until Zacharaiah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I say to you, he will bring all these [things] upon this generation.
Judgment on Israel
37 Jerusalem Jerusalem, who killed the prophets and stoned those sent to you, how often I would gather your children, just as [a] bird gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not. 38 Behold your house is abandoned to you desolate. 39 For I say to you, you will not see me from now until you will say11:Blessed is the [one] coming in the name of the Lord.
1means "Teacher''. Compare 1Tim.2:7, 2Tim.1:11.
2 "your father in the heavens" KD most; "your heavenly father" few
3or 'guides'
4or 'guide'
5include vs. 14: WK few; omit vs. 14: ℵBDH
6"Gehenna" (γεεννα) was a garbage dump outside of Jerusalem that was perpetually on fire.
7or "is a debtor"
8or "is a debtor"
9"Stupid and" BWK most; omit: ℵD
10or "whom"
11Ps.118:26