The Pharisees and Sadducees Demand Signs

16 (A)And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and (B)to test him (C)they asked him to show them (D)a sign from heaven. He answered them,[a] (E)“When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ (F)You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret (G)the signs of the times. (H)An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So (I)he left them and departed.

The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees

When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring any bread. Jesus said to them, “Watch and (J)beware of (K)the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” But (L)Jesus, aware of this, said, (M)“O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? (N)Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember (O)the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 10 Or (P)the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? 11 How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? (Q)Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 (R)Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of (S)the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

13 (T)Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say (U)John the Baptist, others say (V)Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, (W)“You are (X)the Christ, (Y)the Son of (Z)the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, (AA)“Blessed are you, (AB)Simon Bar-Jonah! For (AC)flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, (AD)but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, (AE)you are Peter, and (AF)on this rock[b] I will build my church, and (AG)the gates of (AH)hell[c] shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you (AI)the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and (AJ)whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[d] in heaven.” 20 (AK)Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

21 (AL)From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that (AM)he must go to Jerusalem and (AN)suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on (AO)the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord![e] This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, (AP)“Get behind me, Satan! You are (AQ)a hindrance[f] to me. For you (AR)are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him (AS)deny himself and (AT)take up his cross and follow me. 25 For (AU)whoever would save his life[g] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For (AV)what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or (AW)what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 (AX)For the Son of Man is going to come with (AY)his angels in the glory of his Father, and (AZ)then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not (BA)taste death (BB)until they see the Son of Man (BC)coming in his kingdom.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 16:2 Some manuscripts omit the following words to the end of verse 3
  2. Matthew 16:18 The Greek words for Peter and rock sound similar
  3. Matthew 16:18 Greek the gates of Hades
  4. Matthew 16:19 Or shall have been bound… shall have been loosed
  5. Matthew 16:22 Or “[May God be] merciful to you, Lord!”
  6. Matthew 16:23 Greek stumbling block
  7. Matthew 16:25 The same Greek word can mean either soul or life, depending on the context; twice in this verse and twice in verse 26

16 And the Perushim and Tzedukim approached, to test Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, asking him to present them with an ot (sign) from Shomayim.

But in reply, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, When it is erev, you say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is fiery red.

And in the boker (morning) you say, There will be stormy weather today, for the sky is overcast fiery red and threatening. You have daas to distinguish the signs of the appearance of the sky, but you can’t discern the signs of the times? [T.N. See Ro 1:18]

A dor rah umnaef (an evil and adulterous generation) demands an ot (sign), and no ot will be given it except the ot of Yonah HaNavi. And having left them, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach went away.

When the Moshiach’s talmidim arrived at the other side, they had forgotten to take lechem.

But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, Take special precaution against the chametz (swelling leaven) of the Perushim and Tzedukim.

But they began reasoning among themselves, saying, We took no lechem.

But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, aware of their machshavot (thoughts), said, You men of little emunah, why do you reason among yourselves that you have no lechem?

Do you not yet have binah or remember the five loaves of the chamesh elafim (five thousand), and how many baskets full you took up?

10 Or the shevah loaves of the arbaat elafim (four thousand), and how many large baskets full you took up?

11 How is it that you do not chap (grasp mentally) that I did not speak to you concerning lechem? But beware of the chametz (swelling [like evil, like gaavah, pride], all-permeating leaven) of the Perushim and Tzedukim.

12 Then Moshiach’s talmidim understood that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach did not say to beware of the chametz of the lechem, but of the chametz of the teaching of the Perushim and the Tzedukim.

13 Now, having arrived in the district of Caesarea Philippi, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach began asking his talmidim, saying, Who do men say that [I] the Ben HaAdam am?

14 And Moshiach’s talmidim said, Some say Yochanan of the tevilah of teshuva, and others say, Eliyahu HaNavi, but still others say, Yirmeyah or one of the Neviim.

15 He says to them, But you, who do you consider me to be?

16 And, Shimon Kefa said in reply, You are the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, the Ben Elohim Chayyim!

17 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said in reply to him, Ashrey atah (happy are you), Shimon Bar Yonah, because basar vadahm (flesh and blood) did not give you this hisgalus (revelation), but Avi shbaShomayim.

18 And I also say to you that you are Shimon Kefa [Petros] and upon this TSUR I will build my Kehillah, my Chavurah (the Community of Moshiach) and the shaarei Sheol (gates of Sheol) shall not overpower it.

19 I will give you the maftechot Malchut HaShomayim (keys of the Kingdom of Heaven); and whatever you shall bind as asur (prohibited) on haaretz shall be bound as asur (prohibited) in Shomayim, and whatever you shall loose as mutar (permitted) on haaretz shall be loosed as mutar (permitted) in Shomayim.

20 Then Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach gave the directive to his talmidim that they should tell no one that he was the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.

21 From that point he began to explain to his talmidim that it was necessary that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach go to Yerushalayim, and suffer many things from the Zekenim (Elders), and the Rashei Hakohanim (the Chief Priests) and the Sofrim (Scribes) and it was necessary for Moshiach to be killed and have his histalkus (passing), that he would undergo the Techiyas HaMoshiach (Resurrection of Moshiach) on Yom HaShlishi.

22 And Kefa took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, Chas vshalom (G-d forbid)! Adoni, this shall never happen to you!

23 But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach turned and said to Kefa, Get behind me, Hasatan! You are a michshol (stumbling block) to me; for you are not setting your mind on the things of Hashem, but the things of Bnei Adam!

24 Then Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to his talmidim, If anyone wishes to come after me, let him turn in hinnazrut (self-denial), and take up his etz shel hakarav atzmo (tree of self-sacrifice), and follow me.

25 For whoever wishes to save his nefesh shall lose it; but whoever loses his nefesh on account of me [Moshiach] shall find it.

26 For what will a man be benefited if he acquires the whole world and forfeits his neshamah, or what will a man give in exchange for his neshamah?

27 For the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach] is about to come in the kavod of his Av with his malachim and will then recompense every man according to his maasim.

28 Omein, I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Bias of the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach] coming in his Malchut.