Matthew 23

Matthew 23:1

• Then Jesus
• Jesus

• spoke to the
• said to the
• talked to the

• crowds and to
• multitudes, and to
• multitudes and to
• crowds and
• people and to

• his
• His

• disciples,
• disciples:
• disciples.
• followers,
• followers.

Matthew 23:2

• saying, “The scribes and the
• saying: “The scribes and the
• saying, The scribes and the
• “The teachers of the law and the
• “The scribes and the
• ‘The scribes and the

• Pharisees

• sit on the
• have the authority to tell you what the
• occupy the

• chair of
• seat of
• law of
• Law of

• Moses;
• Moses.
• Moses says.

Matthew 23:3

• [Translation pending]

Matthew 23:4

• They
• For they

• tie up
• bind
• make
• make up

• heavy

• loads and
• burdens
• burdens,
• burdens and
• loads,

• put
• hard to bear, and lay
• lay
• pile
• hard to carry and lay

• them on

• people
• men
• other people

• ’s

• shoulders; but
• shoulders, but
• shoulders. But

• they themselves

• will
• are

• not
• n’t

• willing to lift a finger to move

• them!
• them.

Matthew 23:5

• “They
• They

• do all
• do

• their deeds to be seen by

• men: for
• men; for
• others. For
• others; for
• men.
• people, for
• others:

• they
• They

• make
• widen

• their

• phylacteries
• phylacteries and
• phylacteries, and

• lengthen
• broad and

• their

• tassels.
• tassels,
• tassels long.
• tassels long,

Matthew 23:6

• they love the
• They love the
• And they love the
• and they love the

• place of honor at

• banquets and the
• feasts and the
• feasts, and the
• feasts, the

• best
• most important
• front
• chief

• seats in the
• seats in

• Synagogues,
• synagogues,
• synagogues
• synagogues.
• synagogues;

Matthew 23:7

• greetings in the
• they love to be greeted with
• They love to be greeted with
• and greetings in the

• marketplaces and to
• marketplaces, and to
• respect in the marketplaces and to

• be

• called
• called ‘

• rabbi by
• Rabbi’ by
• Rabbi by

• men.
• people.
• others.

Matthew 23:8

• But you
• ‘But you
• “But you
• But you,
• “You
• You

• do
• are
• must
• should

• not
• not to
• n’t

• be

• called “
• called
• called ‘

• rabbi”; for
• rabbi, for
• Rabbi,’ for
• Rabbi,’ because
• Rabbi, because
• Rabbi.’
• Teacher,’ because

• you
• You

• have one
• have but one

• teacher, and
• Teacher, and
• Teacher. And
• Teacher and
• Teacher, and all of
• teacher, and all of

• you

• are all
• are

• brothers,
• brothers.
• brothers and sisters.
• brethren.

Matthew 23:9

• Do
• ‘Do
• And do

• not
• n’t

• call
• call no
• call any

• anyone on earth your

• father, for one
• father; for One

• is your

• Father.
• Father,
• Father, and
• Father and

• He
• he
• he who
• He who

• is in heaven.

Matthew 23:10

• Neither be called instructors, for you

• have one
• have

• teacher, the
• Teacher, the
• Master, the
• master, the
• Instructor, the
• instructor, the
• only one leader, the

• Christ.
• Messiah.

Matthew 23:11

• [Translation pending]

Matthew 23:12

• Whoever exalts
• whoever exalts
• And whoever exalts
• For whoever exalts
• Whoever makes

• himself
• themselves
• himself up

• will
• great will

• be

• humbled; and whoever
• humbled, and whoever
• humbled, and those who

• humbles
• humble

• himself
• themselves

• will be

• exalted.
• made great.
• lifted up.
• honored.

Matthew 23:13

• “But woe to
• “Woe to
• “How terrible for

• you
• you,

• scribes and
• teachers of the Law and
• teachers of the law and

• Pharisees—
• Pharisees,
• Pharisees, you
• Pharisees! You

• hypocrites!
• hypocrites.
• hypocrites, because
• hypocrites!—because
• hypocrites! because
• hypocrites! For

• you
• You

• shut the
• shut up the
• lock the
• lock up the

• kingdom of
• door of the kingdom of
• door of the Kingdom of

• Heaven in
• heaven in

• people
• men

• ’s faces. For you neither enter

• yourselves nor
• yourselves, nor

• allow those who

• would
• are

• entering to
• enter to

• go in.

Matthew 23:14

• Woe to
• “Woe to
• Alas for

• you
• you,

• scribes and
• teachers of the law and

• Pharisees!
• Pharisees—
• Pharisees,

• Hypocrites!
• hypocrites!
• hypocrites.
• hypocrites, because
• hypocrites! because
• hypocrites!—because
• hypocrites! For
• hypocrites! for

• you
• You

• devour widows’

• houses, and for a
• houses and for a

• pretense you

• make
• pray

• long
• lengthy

• prayers.
• prayers;
• prayers:
• prayers!

• Therefore
• therefore
• Therefore,

• you

• will
• shall

• receive
• receive a
• receive the

• greater

• condemnation.
• judgment.

Matthew 23:15

• Woe to
• “Woe to
• ‘Alas for
• “Alas for
• Alas for
• “How terrible for

• you,

• scribes and
• teachers of the law and

• Pharisees!
• Pharisees—
• Pharisees,

• Hypocrites!
• hypocrites!
• Hypocrites! For
• hypocrites! For
• hypocrites! for
• hypocrites, because
• hypocrites! because
• hypocrites!—because
• you hypocrites!
• you hypocrites.

• you
• You

• cross
• travel over
• traverse

• sea and
• land and

• land to
• sea to

• make one
• win one

• proselyte; and when
• proselyte, and when
• convert; and when
• convert, and when

• he
• you have

• becomes one
• becomes one,

• you make

• him
• them

• twice as much a

• son of
• child of

• hell as you
• hell as
• Gehenna as

• are.
• are!
• yourselves.
• yourselves!

Matthew 23:16

• “Woe to
• ‘Alas for
• Alas for

• you,
• you, you

• blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the

• temple,
• Temple,
• temple
• sanctuary,
• sanctuary

• it
• is

• is
• means
• bound by

• nothing! But whoever
• nothing. But whoever
• nothing, but whoever
• nothing; but whoever

• swears by the

• gold of the
• gold in the

• temple,
• Temple
• temple
• sanctuary,
• sanctuary

• is
• he is

• bound by his

• oath.”
• oath.’

Matthew 23:17

• You blind
• Blind
• ‘You fools and blind
• You fools and blind

• fools, which
• fools! Which
• fools! For which
• men! Which

• is
• is the

• greater, the
• greater: the
• more important? The
• more important, the

• gold or the
• gold, or the
• gold? Or the

• temple that
• Temple that
• sanctuary that

• makes the
• sanctifies the
• sanctified the

• gold?

Matthew 23:18

• And, ‘Whoever swears by the
• And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the

• altar
• altar,

• it

• is
• means

• nothing! But whoever
• nothing. But whoever
• nothing; but whoever

• swears by the gift that is on it, he is

• bound by his oath.’
• bound by his oath.”
• obligated?’
• obligated.’
• bound by the oath.’
• bound.’
• bound.”
• debtor!
• debtor.

Matthew 23:19

• Fools and

• blind! for which
• blind! For which

• is
• is the

• greater, the
• greater: the
• more important? The
• more important, the

• gift, or the
• gift or the
• offering, or the
• offering? Or the

• altar that
• altar which

• makes the
• sanctifies the

• gift sacred?
• gift holy?
• gift holy!
• gift holy.
• gift?
• offering?

Matthew 23:20

• So whoever swears by the
• Therefore, he who swears by the
• Therefore he who swears by the

• altar,’
• altar
• altar,

• swears by

• it and by
• it, and by

• everything on
• everything on the

• it.
• it,
• it;
• altar.

Matthew 23:21

• And whoever swears by the
• and whoever swears by the
• And anyone who swears by the
• and he who swears by the
• And he who swears by the
• He who swears by the
• And the one who swears by the

• temple,
• Temple
• Temple,
• temple
• sanctuary,
• sanctuary

• swears by

• it and by
• it, and by
• it and by the

• Him who
• him who
• Him Who
• one who

• dwells in
• lives in
• lives

• it.
• it,
• it;
• there.

Matthew 23:22

• and whoever swears by
• And whoever swears by
• And he who swears by
• and he who swears by
• And when you swear ‘by
• And when you swear by
• And the one who swears by

• heaven,
• heaven,’
• heaven

• swears by the throne of

• God, and by
• God and by
• God and by the

• Him who
• him who
• Him Who
• one who
• God, who
• God who

• sits on
• sits upon
• sits on the
• is seated on
• sits on that

• it.
• throne.

Matthew 23:23

• “Woe to
• “How terrible for
• ‘Alas for
• Alas for

• you
• you,

• scribes and
• teachers of the Law and
• teachers of the law and

• Pharisees—
• Pharisees,
• Pharisees. You
• Pharisees, you
• Pharisees! You

• hypocrites!
• hypocrites.
• hypocrites! For
• hypocrites! for
• hypocrites, because
• hypocrites!—because

• you
• You

• tithe
• pay tithes of
• give a tenth of
• pay a tenth of

• mint and
• mint,

• dill and
• dill, and

• cummin, and
• cummin and
• cumin, and

• have neglected the

• weightier
• more important

• matters of the
• things of the

• Law:
• law—
• law:
• law,
• Law,
• law like
• law, like

• justice,
• justice and

• mercy, and
• mercy and
• mercy,

• faith; these
• faith. These
• faithfulness.
• faithfulness!
• good faith! These
• good faith. These
• faithfulness. These
• faith.

• you
• You

• should
• ought to

• have

• done, without
• done without

• neglecting the

• others.
• former.
• first.

Matthew 23:24

• Youblind

• guides!
• leaders,
• leaders!

• you
• You

• strain out a
• strain out the
• filter out a
• take a

• gnat and
• gnat, and
• gnat but
• gnat, but

• swallow a
• gulp down a
• swallow the

• camel.
• camel!

Matthew 23:25

• Woe to
• “Woe to
• ‘Alas for
• Alas for
• “How terrible for

• you
• you,

• Scribes and
• scribes and
• teachers of the law and
• teachers of the

• Pharisees!
• Pharisees—
• Pharisees,

• you hypocrites!
• you hypocrites.
• You hypocrites!
• hypocrites! For
• hypocrites! for
• Hypocrites!
• hypocrites!
• hypocrites, because
• hypocrites! because
• hypocrites!—because

• you
• You

• clean the
• cleanse the
• wash the

• outside of the
• outside of

• cup and
• cup and the
• cup and of the

• dish, but inside
• platter, but within
• plate, but inside

• they
• you

• are full of

• greed and
• extortion and
• robbery and

• self-indulgence!
• self-indulgence.

Matthew 23:26

• Blind

• Pharisee!
• Pharisee,

• first
• First

• clean the inside of the

• cup,
• cup and the dish,

• so that the outside

• may
• will

• be
• become

• clean

• too!
• too.
• also.

Matthew 23:27

• Woe to
• “Woe to
• “How terrible for
• ‘Alas for

• you,

• scribes and
• teachers of the Law and
• teachers of the law and

• Pharisees!
• Pharisees—
• Pharisees,
• Pharisees, you
• Pharisees! You

• Hypocrites!
• hypocrites!
• hypocrites.
• hypocrites! For
• hypocrites! for
• hypocrites, because
• hypocrites! because
• hypocrites!—because

• you
• You

• are like whitewashed

• tombs, which
• tombs that

• look
• appear

• beautiful on the

• outside but
• outside, but
• outside but on the

• inside
• inside,

• are
• they are

• full of dead

• men
• people

• ’s

• bones and all
• bones and every
• bones and all kinds of
• bones and
• bones, and of all

• uncleanness;
• uncleanness.
• kinds of filth.
• filth.
• everything unclean!
• everything unclean.
• impurity.

Matthew 23:28

• It is the same with you. People look at you and think you

• appear
• are
• appear to
• look

• righteous to

• people, but inside
• people. But inside

• you are

• full of
• filled with

• hypocrisy and
• pretense and

• lawlessness.
• iniquity.
• evil.

Matthew 23:29

• Woe to
• “Woe to
• “How terrible for
• ‘Alas for

• you
• you,

• Scribes and
• scribes and
• teachers of the Law and
• teachers of the law and

• Pharisees!
• Pharisees—
• Pharisees,

• you hypocrites!
• you hypocrites.
• You hypocrites!
• Hypocrites! For
• hypocrites! For
• hypocrites! for
• Hypocrites!
• hypocrites!
• hypocrites, because
• hypocrites! Because
• hypocrites! because
• hypocrites!—because

• you
• You

• build the
• build

• tombs of the
• tombs for the
• sepulchres of the

• prophets and
• prophets, and
• prophets,
• prophets.

• decorate the
• adorn the
• you decorate the
• You decorate the

• graves of the
• monuments of the
• tombs of the
• memorials of the
• monuments of those who

• righteous,
• righteous.
• lived good lives.
• lived good lives;

Matthew 23:30

• and you
• And you
• You

• say, ‘If
• say, “If

• we had

• lived in the
• lived during the

• days of
• time of

• our
• your

• ancestors,
• fathers,
• forefathers,

• we
• you

• would

• not
• n’t
• never

• have

• taken part with
• joined
• been partakers with
• been partners with
• helped

• them in
• them in the
• them

• shedding the blood of the
• killing the
• kill the
• blood of the
• shedding the
• murder of the

• prophets.’
• prophets.
• prophets!
• prophets!’
• prophets.”
• prophets’ blood.’

Matthew 23:31

• So you
• Thus you
• By saying this you
• Therefore you
• “Therefore you

• testify against
• give

• yourselves, that
• yourselves that
• proof that

• you

• are
• are the

• descendants of those who
• children of those who
• sons of those who

• murdered the
• killed the

• prophets.
• prophets!
• prophets;

Matthew 23:32

• Fill up
• Fill up,
• Go
• Go on
• Go on,

• then the
• then, the
• ahead,

• measure of
• finish what
• complete what

• your

• ancestors started.
• ancestors started!
• fathers!
• fathers.
• ancestors.
• ancestors!
• fathers’ guilt.
• ancestors began.
• ancestors began!

Matthew 23:33

• “You snakes! You
• You snakes! You
• ‘You snakes, you
• You snakes, you
• You serpents, you
• ‘Serpents!
• Serpents!
• Serpents,
• Snakes!
• “Snakes!
• You snakes and

• Brood of
• brood of
• children of
• Offspring of
• offspring of
• nest of
• family of

• vipers, how
• vipers! how
• vipers! How
• snakes! How

• can
• will
• are

• you

• escape
• escape from

• being

• condemned to
• sentenced to

• hell!
• hell?
• hell.
• Gehenna?

Matthew 23:34

• “Therefore, behold, I
• Therefore, behold, I
• Therefore behold, I
• Therefore I
• “Therefore, I
• That is why I
• I

• am sending
• send
• send to
• ’m sending
• am sending to

• you

• prophets and
• prophets, and
• prophets,

• wise

• men and
• men, and
• people, and

• scribes; some of
• scribes: some of
• scribes. Some of
• teachers. Some of
• teachers; some of

• them
• them.

• you
• You

• will

• kill and
• kill some of

• crucify; and some of
• crucify, and some of
• crucify. Some of
• crucify, some of
• crucify;
• crucify,

• them
• others.
• others

• you
• You

• will

• scourge in
• flog in
• beat in
• whip in

• your

• synagogues and
• synagogues, and

• will pursue from

• town to
• city to

• town;
• town,
• town.
• city.
• city:
• city;
• city,

Matthew 23:35

• so that upon you
• As a result, you
• that on you
• so that on you

• will
• may

• come all the righteous blood

• shed on
• shed on the

• earth from the
• earth, from the

• blood of
• murder of

• righteous
• innocent

• Abel to the

• blood of
• murder of

• Zechariah
• Zechariah,
• Zechariah the
• Zechariah, the

• son of

• Barachiah, whom
• Barachiah whom
• Berechiah whom
• Berechiah, whom
• Berekiah, whom

• you

• murdered between the
• killed between the

• temple and the
• Temple and the
• sanctuary and the

• altar.

Matthew 23:36

• I
• Truly I
• Truly, I
• Verily I
• verily I

• tell
• say to
• assure

• you, all these
• you, All these
• you: All these

• things

• will
• will all
• shall

• come upon this
• come on this

• generation.
• generation!

Matthew 23:37

• ‘Jerusalem,
• “Jerusalem,
• ‘Jerusalem!
• “O Jerusalem,

• Jerusalem!
• Jerusalem,
• Jerusalem, the

• you
• You
• you who
• You who
• city that

• kill the
• kills the

• prophets and stone those who are sent to

• you! How
• her! How
• it! How

• often have I

• wanted to
• longed to

• gather your

• children
• people

• together, as a
• together as a

• hen gathers her

• chicks under
• brood under

• her

• wings; but
• wings. But
• wings! But
• wings, but
• wings, and

• you
• you would

• were not willing!
• were not willing.
• refused!
• were unwilling!
• were unwilling.
• would not let me!
• did not let me.

Matthew 23:38

• Look,
• Look!
• Behold,
• See!
• See,
• Now

• your
• Your

• house
• Temple
• temple

• is left to
• will be
• is left
• will be left

• you, desolate.
• you desolate;
• you desolate.
• you desolate!
• deserted,
• deserted.
• completely empty.
• empty.

Matthew 23:39

• [Translation pending]