Matthew 23
Expanded Bible
Jesus Accuses Some Leaders(A)
23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his ·followers [disciples], 2 “The ·teachers of the law [scribes] and the Pharisees ·have the authority to interpret what the law of Moses says [L sit in Moses’ seat/chair]. 3 So you should ·obey [do; practice] and ·follow [keep; observe] whatever they tell you, but ·their lives are not good examples for you to follow [L do not follow their actions]. ·They tell you to do things, but they themselves don’t do them [L For they say but do not do]. 4 They ·make strict rules [L tie up heavy loads/burdens that are hard to carry] and ·try to force people to obey them [L put them on people’s shoulders], but they are unwilling to ·help those who struggle under the weight of their rules [lift a finger to move them; L move them with their finger].
5 “They do good things so that other people will see them. They enlarge ·the little boxes holding Scriptures that they wear [L their phylacteries; C leather cases worn on the left arm and forehead to literally fulfill Deut. 6:8; 11:18], and they ·make their special prayer clothes very long [L lengthen their tassels; C Jewish males were to wear tassels on the four corners of their garment; Num. 15:38; Deut. 22:12]. 6 Those Pharisees and teachers of the law love to have the ·most important seats [places of greatest honor] at ·feasts [banquets] and [L the best seats] in the synagogues. 7 They love people to greet them with respect in the marketplaces, and they love to have people call them ·‘Teacher [L Rabbi].’
8 “But you must not be called ‘·Teacher [Rabbi],’ because you have only one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters together. 9 And don’t call any person on earth ‘Father,’ because you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 And you should not be called ‘·Master [Leader; Teacher; Instructor]’ because you have only one ·Master [Leader; Teacher; Instructor], the ·Christ [Messiah]. 11 ·Whoever is your servant is the greatest among you [L The greatest among you will be your servant]. 12 Whoever ·makes himself great [lifts up/exalts himself] will be made humble. Whoever makes himself humble will be ·made great [exalted; lifted up].
13 “·How terrible for [L Woe to] you, ·teachers of the law [scribes] and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! [L Because] You ·close [shut; lock] the door for people to enter the kingdom of heaven. You yourselves don’t enter, and you ·stop [don’t allow] others who are trying to enter. |14 ·How terrible for [L Woe to] you, ·teachers of the law [scribes] and Pharisees. You are hypocrites. You ·take away [L devour] widows’ houses, and you say long prayers ·so that people will notice you [as a pretense]. So you will have a worse ·punishment [condemnation].|[a]
15 “·How terrible for [L Woe to] you, ·teachers of the law [scribes] and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You travel across land and sea to ·find one person who will change to your ways [L make one convert/proseltye]. When you ·find that person [make that convert], you make him ·more fit for hell than [L twice the son of hell/Gehenna that; 5:22] you are.
16 “·How terrible for [L Woe to] you! ·You guide the people, but you are blind [L Blind guides!]. You say, ‘If people ·swear [make an oath/vow] by the Temple when they make a promise, that means nothing. But if they swear by the gold that is in the Temple, they ·must keep that promise [are obligated/bound].’ 17 You are blind fools! Which is greater: the gold or the Temple that makes that gold ·holy [sacred; sanctified]? 18 And you say, ‘If people ·swear [make an oath/vow] by the altar when they make a promise, that means nothing. But if they ·swear [make an oath/vow] by the ·gift [offering] on the altar, they ·must keep that promise [are obligated/bound].’ 19 You are blind! Which is greater: the ·gift [offering] or the altar that makes the gift ·holy [sacred; sanctified]? 20 [L So; Therefore] The person who swears by the altar is really swearing by the altar and also everything on the altar. 21 And the person who swears by the Temple is really swearing by the Temple and the One who ·lives [dwells] in the Temple. 22 The person who swears by heaven is also swearing by God’s throne and the One who sits on that throne.
23 “·How terrible for [L Woe to] you, ·teachers of the law [scribes] and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You ·give to God one-tenth of [pay tithe on] everything you have—even your mint, dill, and cumin. But you ·don’t obey [ignore; neglect] the ·really important teachings [L weightier matters] of the law—justice, mercy, and ·being loyal [faith; faithfulness]. These are the things you should do, ·as well as [without neglecting] those other things. 24 ·You guide the people, but you are blind! [L Blind guides!] You ·are like a person who picks a fly out of a drink and then swallows a camel [L strain out a gnat, but swallow a camel; C worrying about the smallest mistakes while committing the biggest sins]!
25 “·How terrible for [L Woe to] you, ·teachers of the law [scribes] and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You ·wash [clean] the outside of your cups and dishes [C for ceremonial purity], but inside they are full of ·things you got by cheating others and by pleasing only yourselves [L greed/robbery and self-indulgence]. 26 Pharisees, you are blind! First make the inside of the cup[b] clean, and then the outside ·can be truly [or will also be] clean.
27 “·How terrible for [L Woe to] you, ·teachers of the law [scribes] and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You are like ·tombs that are painted white [whitewashed tombs]. Outside, those tombs ·look fine [appear beautiful], but inside, they are full of the bones of dead people and all kinds of ·unclean things [filth; corruption; impurity]. 28 It is the same with you. ·People look at you and think you are good [or On the outside you look like righteous people], but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and ·evil [lawlessness].
29 “·How terrible for [L Woe to] you, ·teachers of the law [scribes] and Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets, and you ·show honor to [decorate; adorn] the graves of ·those who lived good lives [L the righteous]. 30 You say, ‘If we had lived during the time of our ancestors, we would not have ·helped them kill [L been partners in the blood of] the prophets.’ 31 But you ·give proof [L testify against yourselves] that you are ·descendants [sons; children] of those who murdered the prophets. 32 ·And you will complete the sin that your ancestors started [or Go ahead and finish what your fathers started!; L Fill up the measure of your fathers].
33 “You ·are snakes [serpents]! A ·family of poisonous snakes [T brood/offspring of vipers]! How are you going to escape ·God’s judgment [the sentence/judgment/damnation of hell/Gehenna; 5:22]? 34 ·So I tell you this [For this reason]: I am sending to you prophets and wise men and ·teachers [scribes; experts in the law]. Some of them you will kill and crucify. Some of them you will ·beat [scourge; flog] in your synagogues and ·chase [hunt; persecute] from town to town. 35 So ·you will be guilty for [L upon you will come] ·the death of all the good people who have been killed on earth [L all the righteous blood shed on the earth]—from the ·murder [L blood] of that ·good [righteous] man Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berakiah, whom you murdered between the ·Temple [sanctuary] and the altar [C in the book order of the Hebrew Old Testament, Abel (Gen. 4:8) and Zechariah (2 Chr. 24:21) were the first and last men to be murdered]. 36 I tell you the truth, all of these things will happen to ·you people who are living now [L this generation].
Jesus Grieves for Jerusalem(B)
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone to death those who are sent to you. ·Many times [How often] I wanted to gather your ·people [L children] as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you ·did not let me [refused]. 38 ·Now [L Look; T Behold] your house ·will be [L is] left ·completely empty [abandoned; deserted; desolate; Jer. 22:5]. 39 [L For] I tell you, you will not see me again until that time when you will say, ‘·God bless [L Blessed is] the One who comes in the name of the Lord [Ps. 118:26].’”
Footnotes
- Matthew 23:14 How … punishment. Some Greek copies do not contain the bracketed text.
- Matthew 23:26 cup Some Greek copies add “and dish.”
Matthew 23
New English Translation
Seven Woes
23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The[a] experts in the law[b] and the Pharisees[c] sit on Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach.[d] 4 They[e] tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them. 5 They[f] do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries[g] wide and their tassels[h] long. 6 They[i] love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues[j] 7 and elaborate greetings[k] in the marketplaces,[l] and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’ 8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. 9 And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ.[m] 11 The[n] greatest among you will be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 “But woe to you, experts in the law[o] and you Pharisees, hypocrites![p] You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven![q] For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.[r]
15 “Woe to you, experts in the law[s] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert,[t] and when you get one,[u] you make him twice as much a child of hell[v] as yourselves!
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple is bound by nothing.[w] But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’ 17 Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing.[x] But if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by the oath.’ 19 You are blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and the one who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, experts in the law[y] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth[z] of mint, dill, and cumin,[aa] yet you neglect what is more important in the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You[ab] should have done these things without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel![ac]
25 “Woe to you, experts in the law[ad] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,[ae] so that the outside may become clean too!
27 “Woe to you, experts in the law[af] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs[ag] that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, experts in the law[ah] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You[ai] build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves[aj] of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,[ak] we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up then the measure of your ancestors! 33 You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?[al]
34 “For this reason I[am] am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law,[an] some of whom you will kill and crucify,[ao] and some you will flog[ap] in your synagogues[aq] and pursue from town to town, 35 so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah,[ar] whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 I tell you the truth,[as] this generation will be held responsible for all these things![at]
Judgment on Israel
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,[au] you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you![av] How often I have longed[aw] to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but[ax] you would have none of it![ay] 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate! 39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”[az]
Footnotes
- Matthew 23:2 tn Grk “saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
- Matthew 23:2 tn Or “The scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
- Matthew 23:2 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
- Matthew 23:3 tn Grk “for they say and do not do.”
- Matthew 23:4 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Matthew 23:5 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Matthew 23:5 sn Phylacteries were small leather cases containing OT scripture verses, worn on the arm and forehead by Jews, especially when praying. The custom was derived from such OT passages as Exod 13:9; 16; Deut 6:8; 11:18.
- Matthew 23:5 tn The term κράσπεδον (kraspedon) in some contexts could refer to the outer fringe of the garment (possibly in Mark 6:56). This edge could have been plain or decorated. L&N 6.180 states, “In Mt 23:5 κράσπεδον denotes the tassels worn at the four corners of the outer garment (see 6.194).”sn Tassels refer to the tassels that a male Israelite was obligated to wear on the four corners of his outer garment according to the Mosaic law (Num 15:38; Deut 22:12).
- Matthew 23:6 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Matthew 23:6 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
- Matthew 23:7 sn There is later Jewish material in the Talmud that spells out such greetings in detail. See H. Windisch, TDNT 1:498.
- Matthew 23:7 sn See the note on marketplaces in Matt 11:16.
- Matthew 23:10 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
- Matthew 23:11 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Matthew 23:13 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
- Matthew 23:13 tn Grk “Woe to you…because you…” The causal particle ὅτι (hoti) has not been translated here for rhetorical effect (and so throughout this chapter).
- Matthew 23:13 tn Grk “because you are closing the kingdom of heaven before people.”
- Matthew 23:13 tc Many of the most significant mss (א B D L Z Θ ƒ1 33 892* and several versional witnesses) lack 23:14 “Woe to you experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows’ property, and as a show you pray long prayers! Therefore you will receive a more severe punishment.” Part or all of the verse is contained (either after v. 12 or after v. 13) in W Γ Δ 0102 0107 ƒ13 565 579 700 1241 1424 M and several versions. Note also that Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47 are very similar in wording and are not disputed textually. It is difficult to see this verse as authentic in Matthew in light of the two locations, variants withing this addition, and the key witnesses, early and diverse, that lack the verse itself. It almost certainly is not original. The present translation follows NA28 in omitting the verse number as well, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.
- Matthew 23:15 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
- Matthew 23:15 tn Or “one proselyte.”
- Matthew 23:15 tn Grk “when he becomes [one].”
- Matthew 23:15 tn Grk “a son of Gehenna.” Expressions constructed with υἱός (huios) followed by a genitive of class or kind denote a person belonging to the class or kind specified by the following genitive (L&N 9.4). Thus the phrase here means “a person who belongs to hell.”sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
- Matthew 23:16 tn Grk “Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing.”
- Matthew 23:18 tn Grk “Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing.”
- Matthew 23:23 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
- Matthew 23:23 tn Or “you tithe mint.”
- Matthew 23:23 sn Cumin (alternately spelled cummin) was an aromatic herb native to the Mediterranean region. Its seeds were used for seasoning.
- Matthew 23:23 tc ‡ Many witnesses (B C K L W Δ 0102 33 565 892 pm) have δέ (de, “but”) after ταῦτα (tauta, “these things”), while many others lack it (א D Γ Θ ƒ1, 13 579 700 1241 1424 pm lat mae bo; SBL). Since asyndeton was relatively rare in Koine Greek, the conjunction may be an intentional scribal alteration, and is thus omitted from the present translation. NA28 includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
- Matthew 23:24 tn Grk “Blind guides who strain out a gnat yet who swallow a camel!”
- Matthew 23:25 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
- Matthew 23:26 tc A very difficult textual problem is found here. The most significant Alexandrian and Byzantine, as well as key Western, witnesses (א B C L W Γ Δ 0102 0281 ƒ13 33 565 579 1241 1424 M lat co; SBL) have “and the dish” (καὶ τῆς παροψίδος, kai tēs paropsidos) after “cup,” while a few major witnesses (D Θ ƒ1 700 and some versional and patristic authorities) omit the phrase. On the one hand, scribes sometimes tended to eliminate redundancy; since “and the dish” is already present in v. 25, it may have been deleted in v. 26 by well-meaning copyists. On the other hand, as Metzger notes, the singular pronoun αὐτοῦ (autou, “its”) with τὸ ἐκτός (to ektos, “the outside”) in some of the same witnesses that have the longer reading (viz., B* ƒ13 al) hints that their archetype lacked the words (TCGNT 50). Further, scribes would be motivated both to add the phrase from v. 25 and to change αὐτοῦ to the plural pronoun αὐτῶν (autōn, “their”). Although the external evidence for the shorter reading is not compelling in itself, combined with these two prongs of internal evidence, it is to be slightly preferred.
- Matthew 23:27 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
- Matthew 23:27 sn This was an idiom for hypocrisy—just as the wall was painted on the outside but something different on the inside, so this person was not what he appeared or pretended to be (for discussion of a similar metaphor, see L&N 88.234; BDAG 1010 s.v. τοῖχος). See Ezek 13:10-16; Acts 23:3.
- Matthew 23:29 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
- Matthew 23:29 tn Grk “Because you.” Here ὅτι (hoti) has not been translated.
- Matthew 23:29 tn Or perhaps “the monuments” (see L&N 7.75-76).
- Matthew 23:30 tn Grk “fathers” (so also in v. 32).
- Matthew 23:33 tn Grk “the judgment of Gehenna.”sn See the note on the word hell in 5:22.
- Matthew 23:34 tn Grk “behold I am sending.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
- Matthew 23:34 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
- Matthew 23:34 sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.
- Matthew 23:34 tn BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; s. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss ’33) w. acc. of pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34.”
- Matthew 23:34 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
- Matthew 23:35 sn Spelling of this name (Βαραχίου, Barachiou) varies among the English versions: “Barachiah” (RSV, NRSV); “Berechiah” (NASB); “Berachiah” (NIV).
- Matthew 23:36 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
- Matthew 23:36 tn Grk “all these things will come on this generation.”
- Matthew 23:37 sn The double use of the city’s name betrays intense emotion.
- Matthew 23:37 tn Although the opening address (“Jerusalem, Jerusalem”) is direct (second person), the remainder of this sentence in the Greek text is third person (“who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her”). The following sentences then revert to second person (“your…you”), so to keep all this consistent in English, the third person pronouns in the present verse were translated as second person (“you who kill…sent to you”).
- Matthew 23:37 sn How often I have longed to gather your children. Jesus, like a lamenting prophet, speaks for God here, who longed to care tenderly for Israel and protect her.
- Matthew 23:37 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
- Matthew 23:37 tn Grk “you were not willing.”
- Matthew 23:39 sn A quotation from Ps 118:26.
马太福音 23
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
经学家和法利赛人有祸了(A)
23 那时，耶稣对群众和他的门徒说： 2 “经学家和法利赛人坐在摩西的座位上， 3 所以凡他们吩咐你们的，你们都要遵行和谨守，但不可效法他们的行为，因为他们只会说而不去作。 4 他们把重担捆起来，压在人的肩头上，但自己连一个指头也不肯动。 5 他们所作的一切，都是要作给人看：他们把经文的匣子做大了，衣服的繸子做长了； 6 他们喜欢筵席上的首位、会堂里的高位； 7 又喜欢人在市中心向他们问安，称呼他们‘拉比’。 8 然而你们不要被人称为‘拉比’，因为只有一位是你们的老师，你们都是弟兄。 9 不要称呼地上的人为父，因为只有一位是你们的父，就是天父。 10 你们也不要被人称为师傅，因为只有一位是你们的师傅，就是基督。 11 你们中间最大的，必作你们的仆人。 12 凡高抬自己的，必被降卑；凡自己谦卑的，必被升高。
13 “虚伪的经学家和法利赛人哪，你们有祸了！你们在人面前关了天国的门，自己不进去，连正要进去的人，你们也不准他们进去。（有些抄本有第14节：“虚伪的经学家和法利赛人哪，你们有祸了！你们吞没了寡妇的房产，假装作冗长的祷告，所以你们必受更重的刑罚。”）
15 “虚伪的经学家和法利赛人哪，你们有祸了！你们走遍海洋陆地，要使一个人入教；当他入了教，你们却使他沦为地狱之子，比你们更甚。
16 “你们这些瞎眼的向导有祸了！你们说：‘凡指着圣所而起的誓，是没有用的；但指着圣所的金子而起的誓，就必须遵守。’ 17 你们这些瞎眼的愚昧人哪，到底是金子大，还是使金子成圣的圣所大呢？ 18 你们又说：‘凡指着祭坛所起的誓，是没有用的；但指着坛上的祭物所起的誓，就必须遵守。’ 19 瞎眼的人哪！到底是祭物大，还是使祭物成圣的祭坛大呢？ 20 所以，凡指着祭坛起誓的，他就是指着祭坛和坛上的一切起誓； 21 指着圣所起誓的，就是指着圣所和住在那里的 神起誓； 22 指着天起誓的，就是指着 神的宝座和坐在宝座上的起誓。
23 “虚伪的经学家和法利赛人哪，你们有祸了！你们把薄荷、茴香、芹菜，献上十分之一，却忽略律法上更重要的，就如正义、怜悯和信实；这些更重要的是你们应当作的，但其他的也不可忽略。 24 你们这些瞎眼的向导啊，你们把蚊虫滤出来，却把骆驼吞下去。
25 “虚伪的经学家和法利赛人哪，你们有祸了！你们洗净杯盘的外面，里面却装满了抢夺和放荡。 26 瞎眼的法利赛人哪，先把杯和盘的里面洗净，好使外面也可以干净。
27 “虚伪的经学家和法利赛人哪，你们有祸了！你们好象粉饰了的坟墓，外面好看，里面却装满了死人的骨头和各样的污秽； 28 照样，你们外面看来像义人，里面却充塞着虚伪和不法。
29 “虚伪的经学家和法利赛人哪，你们有祸了！你们建造先知的墓，修饰义人的碑， 30 并且说：‘我们若活在我们祖先的时代，决不会与他们一同流先知的血。’ 31 这样，你们就指证自己是杀害先知的人的子孙了。 32 那么，去完成你们祖先的罪孽吧！ 33 你们这些蛇，这些毒蛇所生的啊，你们怎能逃脱地狱的刑罚呢？ 34 因此，我差派先知、智慧人和经学家到你们那里；有些你们要杀害又钉在十字架上，有些你们要在会堂里鞭打，从一个城赶逐到另一个城。 35 所以，从义人亚伯的血起，到巴拉加的儿子撒迦利亚的血为止，他就是你们在圣所和祭坛中间所杀的，所有义人在地上所流的血，都要归在你们身上。 36 我实在告诉你们，这一切都必临到这个世代。
为耶路撒冷叹息（参(B)
37 “耶路撒冷，耶路撒冷啊，你杀害先知，又用石头把奉派到你们那里的人打死。我多次想招聚你的儿女，好象母鸡招聚小鸡到翅膀底下，只是你们不愿意。 38 你看，你们的家必成为荒场，留给你们。 39 我告诉你们，从今以后，你们一定见不到我，直等到你们说：‘奉主名来的，是应当称颂的。’”
Mateus 23
Nova Versão Transformadora
Jesus critica os líderes religiosos
23 Então Jesus disse às multidões e a seus discípulos: 2 “Os mestres da lei e os fariseus ocuparam o lugar de intérpretes oficiais da lei de Moisés.[a] 3 Portanto, pratiquem tudo que eles dizem e obedeçam-lhes, mas não sigam seu exemplo, pois eles não fazem o que ensinam. 4 Oprimem as pessoas com exigências insuportáveis e não movem um dedo sequer para aliviar seus fardos.
5 “Tudo que fazem é para se exibir. Usam nos braços filactérios[b] mais largos que de costume e vestem mantos com franjas mais longas. 6 Gostam de sentar-se à cabeceira da mesa nos banquetes e de ocupar os lugares de honra nas sinagogas. 7 Gostam de receber saudações respeitosas enquanto andam pelas praças e de ser chamados de ‘Rabi’.[c]
8 “Não deixem que pessoa alguma os chame de ‘Rabi’, pois vocês têm somente um mestre, e todos vocês são irmãos. 9 Não se dirijam a pessoa alguma aqui na terra como ‘Pai’, pois somente Deus no céu é seu Pai. 10 Não deixem que pessoa alguma os chame de ‘Mestre’, pois vocês têm somente um mestre, o Cristo. 11 O mais importante entre vocês deve ser servo dos outros, 12 pois os que se exaltam serão humilhados, e os que se humilham serão exaltados.
13 “Que aflição os espera, mestres da lei e fariseus! Hipócritas! Fecham a porta do reino dos céus na cara das pessoas. Vocês mesmos não entram e não permitem que os outros entrem.
14 “Que aflição os espera, mestres da lei e fariseus! Hipócritas! Tomam posse dos bens das viúvas de maneira desonesta e, depois, para dar a impressão de piedade, fazem longas orações em público. Por causa disso, serão duramente castigados.[d]
15 “Que aflição os espera, mestres da lei e fariseus! Hipócritas! Atravessam terra e mar para converter alguém e depois o tornam um filho do inferno,[e] duas vezes pior que vocês.
16 “Que aflição os espera, guias cegos! Vocês dizem não haver importância se alguém jura ‘pelo templo de Deus’, mas se jurar ‘pelo ouro do templo’ será obrigado a cumprir o juramento. 17 Tolos cegos! O que é mais importante: o ouro ou o templo, que torna o ouro sagrado? 18 Dizem também não haver importância se alguém jura ‘pelo altar’, mas se jurar ‘pelas ofertas sobre o altar’ será obrigado a cumprir o juramento. 19 Cegos! O que é mais importante: a oferta sobre o altar ou o altar, que torna a oferta sagrada? 20 Quando juram ‘pelo altar’, juram por ele e por tudo que está sobre ele. 21 Quando juram ‘pelo templo’, juram por ele e por Deus, que nele habita. 22 Quando juram ‘pelo céu’, juram pelo trono de Deus e por Deus, que se senta no trono.
23 “Que aflição os espera, mestres da lei e fariseus! Hipócritas! Têm o cuidado de dar o dízimo da hortelã, do endro e do cominho, mas negligenciam os aspectos mais importantes da lei: justiça, misericórdia e fé. Sim, vocês deviam fazer essas coisas, mas sem descuidar das mais importantes. 24 Guias cegos! Coam a água para não engolir um mosquito, mas engolem um camelo![f]
25 “Que aflição os espera, mestres da lei e fariseus! Hipócritas! Têm o cuidado de limpar a parte exterior do copo e do prato, enquanto o interior está imundo, cheio de ganância e falta de domínio próprio. 26 Fariseus cegos! Lavem primeiro o interior do copo e do prato,[g] e o exterior também ficará limpo.
27 “Que aflição os espera, mestres da lei e fariseus! Hipócritas! São como túmulos pintados de branco: bonitos por fora, mas cheios de ossos e de toda espécie de impureza por dentro. 28 Por fora parecem justos, mas por dentro seu coração está cheio de hipocrisia e maldade.
29 “Que aflição os espera, mestres da lei e fariseus! Hipócritas! Constroem túmulos para os profetas, enfeitam os monumentos dos justos 30 e depois dizem: ‘Se tivéssemos vivido no tempo de nossos antepassados, não teríamos participado com eles do derramamento de sangue dos profetas’.
31 “Ao dizer isso, porém, testemunham contra si mesmos que são, de fato, descendentes dos que assassinaram os profetas. 32 Vão e terminem o que seus antepassados começaram. 33 Serpentes! Raça de víboras! Como escaparão do julgamento do inferno?
34 “Por isso eu lhes envio profetas, homens sábios e mestres da lei. Vocês crucificarão alguns e açoitarão outros nas sinagogas, perseguindo-os de cidade em cidade. 35 Como resultado, serão responsabilizados pelo assassinato de todos os justos de todos os tempos, desde o assassinato do justo Abel até o de Zacarias, filho de Baraquias, que vocês mataram no templo, entre o santuário e o altar. 36 Eu lhes digo a verdade: esse julgamento cairá sobre a presente geração.”
O lamento de Jesus sobre Jerusalém
37 “Jerusalém, Jerusalém, cidade que mata profetas e apedreja os mensageiros de Deus! Quantas vezes eu quis juntar seus filhos como a galinha protege os pintinhos sob as asas, mas você não deixou. 38 E, agora, sua casa foi abandonada e está deserta.[h] 39 Pois eu lhe digo: você nunca mais me verá, até que diga: ‘Bendito é o que vem em nome do Senhor!’”.[i]
Footnotes
- 23.2 Em grego, e os fariseus se sentam na cadeira de Moisés.
- 23.5 Pequenas caixas, usadas na oração, contendo versículos da lei de Moisés.
- 23.7 Termo aramaico que significa “mestre” ou “professor”.
- 23.14 Alguns manuscritos não trazem o versículo 14. Comparar com Mc 12.40 e Lc 20.47.
- 23.15 Em grego, do Geena; também em 23.33.
- 23.24 Ver Lv 11.4,23.
- 23.26 Alguns manuscritos não trazem e do prato.
- 23.38 Alguns manuscritos não trazem e está deserta.
- 23.39 Sl 118.26.
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