Font Size
Matthew 23
New International Version
Matthew 23
New International Version
A Warning Against Hypocrisy(A)(B)
23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law(C) and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 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 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.(D)
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see:(E) They make their phylacteries[a](F) wide and the tassels on their garments(G) long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;(H) 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.(I)
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father,(J) and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant.(K) 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.(L)
Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees
13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!(M) 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.(N) [14] [b]
15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert,(O) and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell(P) as you are.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides!(Q) 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.’(R) 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?(S) 18 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 men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?(T) 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells(U) in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.(V)
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth(W) of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.(X) You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides!(Y) You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish,(Z) but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.(AA) 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,(AB) which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 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, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets(AC) and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 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 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.(AD) 32 Go ahead, then, and complete(AE) what your ancestors started!(AF)
33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers!(AG) How will you escape being condemned to hell?(AH) 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify;(AI) others you will flog in your synagogues(AJ) and pursue from town to town.(AK) 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel(AL) to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah,(AM) whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.(AN) 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.(AO)
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,(AP) how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,(AQ) and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.(AR) 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’[c]”(AS)
Footnotes
- Matthew 23:5 That is, boxes containing Scripture verses, worn on forehead and arm
- Matthew 23:14 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47.
- Matthew 23:39 Psalm 118:26
Mattityahu 23
Orthodox Jewish Bible
Mattityahu 23
Orthodox Jewish Bible
23 Then Moshiach spoke to the multitudes and to his Talmidim,
2 Saying, Upon the Kisei Moshe (Chair of Moses) sit the Sofrim and the Perushim.
3 Therefore, everything whatever they may tell you, be frum and be shomer, but according to their ma’asim (works) do not be shomer, for they do not practice what they preach.
4 And they tie up heavy [extra-Biblical, Mt 4:4; 15:3,6-9; 22:29] loads, hard to bear, and they place them upon the shoulders of men, but they, with so much as a finger, are not willing to lift the oppressive burdens.
5 And all their maasim hamitzvot (works of the commandments) they do in order to be seen by Bnei Adam, for they broaden their tefillin and lengthen their tzitziyot
6 and they love the places of honor at the seudot (banquet dinners), and the shuls,
7 And the [obsequious] Birkat Shalom greetings in the market places, and to be called by Bnei Adam, Rebbe.
8 But you are not to have pretentious titles like Rebbe, for One is your Rebbe [Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach], and all of you are Achim b’Moshiach.
9 And do not refer to anyone in the Olam Hazeh as your Abba, for One is your Av shbaShomayim.
10 Neither be called Moreinu, for One is your Moreh (teacher) the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach [Moreinu].
11 And the greatest among you will be your eved mesharet (servant, minister).
12 But whoever will lift up himself will be humbled, and whoever will humble himself will be lifted up.
13 But oy to you, Sofrim and Perushim, tzevuim (hypocrites), for in front of Bnei Adam you shut the Malchut HaShomayim. You do not go in yourselves, and the ones entering, you do not permit to enter.
14 Oy to you, Sofrim and Perushim, tzevuim! You devour the batim of almanot and for the sake of chashuve (importance) appearance you make long tefillot; therefore your gezar din (verdict) will be more severe.
15 Oy to you, Sofrim and Perushim, tzevuim. You travel over the sea and the dry land for the giyyur (proselytization) of one proselyte; then, when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehinnom as you.
16 Oy to you, morei derech ivrim (blind guides), the, ones saying, Whoever swears by the Beis Hamikdash, it is a worthless shevuah (oath): but whoever swears by the gold of the Beis Hamikdash, he is obligated.
17 Ivrim! (blind ones), for which is greater, the gold or the Beis Hamikdash which gives the gold its kedushah (holiness, sanctity)?
18 And whoever swears by the Mizbeach (altar), it is worthless; but whoever swears by the korban upon it, he is obligated.
19 Ivrim, blind ones, for which is greater, the korban or Mizbeach which gives the korban its kedushah (holiness, sanctity)?
20 Therefore, the one having sworn by the Mizbeach swears by it and everything upon it.
21 And the one having sworn by the Beis Hamikdash swears by it and by everything indwelling it.
22 And the one having sworn by Shomayim swears by the kes malchut of Hashem and by the One sitting upon the kes malchut.
23 Oy to you, Sofrim and Perushim, tzevuim, for you give maasros (tithe) of mint and dill and cumin, and you have neglected the matters of the Torah of greater consequence: mishpat, chesed, and emunah. These things it was necessary to do and those [others] not to neglect.
24 Morei derech ivrim (blind guides), the ones that strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.
25 Oy to you, Sofrim and Perushim, tzevuim, you cleanse the outside of the kos (cup) and the dish, but inside they are full of chamdanut (greed) and taavanut (lust).
26 Blind Parush, first cleanse the inside of the kos, that perhaps also the outside may become clean.
27 Oy to you, Sofrim and Perushim, tzevuim, for you are like kevarim (graves) having been whitewashed, which on the outside indeed appear ois vaist (ostensibly) shein (beautiful), but on the inside are full of the unclean bones of the mesim (dead ones) and every trayfnyak.
28 Thus on the outside you indeed appear tzodek (righteous) to Bnei Adam, but on the inside you are full of tzeviut (hypocrisy) and you are lawlessly against the Torah.
29 Oy to you, Sofrim and Perushim, tzevuim, for you build kevarim of the Neviim and decorate matsevot (gravestones) of the tzaddikim,
30 And you say, If we were in the yamim (days) of Avoteinu (our Fathers), we would not have been shuttafim (partners) with them in the dahm haNeviim (blood of the Prophets).
31 Therefore, you are edim (witnesses) against yourselves that you are the banim (sons) of the ratzchaniyot (murderers) of the Neviim.
32 And you fill up the measure of your Avot.
33 Snakes, you banim of nachashim, how can you escape the Yom HaDin of Gehinnom?
34 For this reason hinei! I send to you Neviim and Chachamim and Sofrim, some of whom you will kill and some you will make talui al haetz (being hanged on the Tree, DEVARIM 21:23) and some you will subject to the shot (whip) in your shuls, and you will drive them out from city to city,
35 So that upon you may come all the dahm naki (innocent blood) shed upon the earth from the blood of Hevel to the blood of Zecharyah, whom you murdered between the Heikhal and the Mizbeach. [trans. note: cf. Lk 11:51 for Mt’s probable original text here]
36 Omein, I say to you, that all these things will come upon this generation.
37 Yerushalayim, Yerushalayim, the ones that kill the Neviim and stone those having been sent to you! How often have I wanted to gather your yeladim, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you were not willing!
38 Hinei! Look! KI LECHARBAH YIH’YEH HABEIT HAZEH (for this House will become a ruin (i.e. churban) YIRMEYAH 22:5).
39 For I say to you, by no means will you see me [Moshiach] from now until you say, BARUCH HABAH BSHEM ADONOI.
Matthew 23
New Living Translation
Matthew 23
New Living Translation
Jesus Criticizes the Religious Leaders
23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses.[a] 3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. 4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.
5 “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.[b] 6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. 7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’[c]
8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.[d] 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. 12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.[e]
15 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell[f] you yourselves are!
16 “Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’ 17 Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding. 19 How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 When you swear ‘by the altar,’ you are swearing by it and by everything on it. 21 And when you swear ‘by the Temple,’ you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it. 22 And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne.
23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens,[g] but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. 24 Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel![h]
25 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! 26 You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish,[i] and then the outside will become clean, too.
27 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. 28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. 30 Then you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.’
31 “But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead and finish what your ancestors started. 33 Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?
34 “Therefore, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers of religious law. But you will kill some by crucifixion, and you will flog others with whips in your synagogues, chasing them from city to city. 35 As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all time—from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you killed in the Temple between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 I tell you the truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation.
Jesus Grieves over Jerusalem
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. 38 And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate.[j] 39 For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’[k]”
Footnotes
- 23:2 Greek and the Pharisees sit in the seat of Moses.
- 23:5 Greek They enlarge their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
- 23:7 Rabbi, from Aramaic, means “master” or “teacher.”
- 23:8 Greek brothers.
- 23:13 Some manuscripts add verse 14, What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, you will be severely punished. Compare Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47.
- 23:15 Greek of Gehenna; also in 23:33.
- 23:23 Greek tithe the mint, the dill, and the cumin.
- 23:24 See Lev 11:4, 23, where gnats and camels are both forbidden as food.
- 23:26 Some manuscripts do not include and the dish.
- 23:38 Some manuscripts do not include and desolate.
- 23:39 Ps 118:26.
Matthew 23
New King James Version
Matthew 23
New King James Version
Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees(A)
23 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: (B)“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you [a]to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for (C)they say, and do not do. 4 (D)For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to (E)be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6 (F)They love the [b]best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ 8 (G)But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your [c]Teacher, [d]the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; (H)for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11 But (I)he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 (J)And whoever exalts himself will be [e]humbled, and he who humbles himself will be [f]exalted.
13 “But (K)woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 [g]Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! (L)For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of [h]hell as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, (M)blind guides, who say, (N)‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ 17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold (O)or the temple that [i]sanctifies the gold? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ 19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift (P)or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore he who [j]swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by (Q)Him who [k]dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by (R)the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! (S)For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and (T)have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! (U)For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and [l]self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! (V)For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 (W)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and [m]adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’
31 “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that (X)you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 (Y)Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33 Serpents, (Z)brood[n] of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 34 (AA)Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: (AB)some of them you will kill and crucify, and (AC)some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 (AD)that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, (AE)from the blood of righteous Abel to (AF)the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Jesus Laments over Jerusalem(AG)
37 (AH)“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets (AI)and stones those who are sent to her! How often (AJ)I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks (AK)under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, (AL)‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”
Footnotes
- Matthew 23:3 NU omits to observe
- Matthew 23:6 Or place of honor
- Matthew 23:8 Leader
- Matthew 23:8 NU omits the Christ
- Matthew 23:12 put down
- Matthew 23:12 lifted up
- Matthew 23:14 NU omits v. 14.
- Matthew 23:15 Gr. Gehenna
- Matthew 23:17 NU sanctified
- Matthew 23:20 Swears an oath
- Matthew 23:21 M dwelt
- Matthew 23:25 M unrighteousness
- Matthew 23:29 decorate
- Matthew 23:33 offspring
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.