Matthew 23 Parallel Bible Translations

Matthew 23
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1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
2 saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.
3 All things therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their works; for they say, and don’t do. so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
4 For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
5 But they do all their works to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the fringes of their garments, They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long;
6 and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;
7 the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi by men. and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi’, for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of you are brothers. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father, he who is in heaven. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.
10 Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the Christ. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah.
11 But he who is greatest among you will be your servant. The greatest among you shall be your servant. The greatest among you will be your servant.
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
13 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
14 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t enter in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering in to enter.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.
16 “Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’ “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’
17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated?’ And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’
19 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
20 He therefore who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it. So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who has been living in it. And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it.
22 He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it. And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel! You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.
28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.
30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
31 Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets. Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!
33 You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna? You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
34 Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.
35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
36 Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not! “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.
38 Behold, your house is left to you desolate. See, your house is left to you desolate. Look, your house is left to you desolate.
39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’” For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
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