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
Matthaeus 23
Luther Bibel 1545
23 Da redete Jesus zu dem Volk und zu seinen Jüngern
2 und sprach: Auf Mose's Stuhl sitzen die Schriftgelehrten und Pharisäer.
3 Alles nun, was sie euch sagen, daß ihr halten sollt, das haltet und tut's; aber nach ihren Werken sollt ihr nicht tun: sie sagen's wohl, und tun's nicht.
4 Sie binden aber schwere und unerträgliche Bürden und legen sie den Menschen auf den Hals; aber sie selbst wollen dieselben nicht mit einem Finger regen.
5 Alle ihre Werke aber tun sie, daß sie von den Leuten gesehen werden. Sie machen ihre Denkzettel breit und die Säume an ihren Kleidern groß.
6 Sie sitzen gern obenan über Tisch und in den Schulen
7 und haben's gern, daß sie gegrüßt werden auf dem Markt und von den Menschen Rabbi genannt werden.
8 Aber ihr sollt euch nicht Rabbi nennen lassen; denn einer ist euer Meister, Christus; ihr aber seid alle Brüder.
9 Und sollt niemand Vater heißen auf Erden, denn einer ist euer Vater, der im Himmel ist.
10 Und ihr sollt euch nicht lassen Meister nennen; denn einer ist euer Meister, Christus.
11 Der Größte unter euch soll euer Diener sein.
12 Denn wer sich selbst erhöht, der wird erniedrigt; und wer sich selbst erniedrigt, der wird erhöht.
13 Weh euch, Schriftgelehrte und Pharisäer, ihr Heuchler, die ihr das Himmelreich zuschließet vor den Menschen! Ihr kommt nicht hinein, und die hinein wollen, laßt ihr nicht hineingehen.
14 Weh euch, Schriftgelehrte und Pharisäer, ihr Heuchler, die ihr der Witwen Häuser fresset und wendet lange Gebete vor! Darum werdet ihr desto mehr Verdammnis empfangen.
15 Weh euch, Schriftgelehrte und Pharisäer, ihr Heuchler, die ihr Land und Wasser umziehet, daß ihr einen Judengenossen macht; und wenn er's geworden ist, macht ihr aus ihm ein Kind der Hölle, zwiefältig mehr denn ihr seid!
16 Weh euch, verblendete Leiter, die ihr sagt: "Wer da schwört bei dem Tempel, das ist nichts; wer aber schwört bei dem Gold am Tempel, der ist's schuldig."
17 Ihr Narren und Blinden! Was ist größer: das Gold oder der Tempel, der das Gold heiligt?
18 "Wer da schwört bei dem Altar, das ist nichts; wer aber schwört bei dem Opfer, das darauf ist, der ist's schuldig."
19 Ihr Narren und Blinden! Was ist größer: das Opfer oder der Altar, der das Opfer heiligt?
20 Darum, wer da schwört bei dem Altar, der schwört bei demselben und bei allem, was darauf ist.
21 Und wer da schwört bei dem Tempel, der schwört bei demselben und bei dem, der darin wohnt.
22 Und wer da schwört bei dem Himmel, der schwört bei dem Stuhl Gottes und bei dem, der darauf sitzt.
23 Weh euch, Schriftgelehrte und Pharisäer, ihr Heuchler, die ihr verzehntet die Minze, Dill und Kümmel, und laßt dahinten das Schwerste im Gesetz, nämlich das Gericht, die Barmherzigkeit und den Glauben! Dies soll man tun und jenes nicht lassen.
24 Ihr verblendeten Leiter, die ihr Mücken seihet und Kamele verschluckt!
25 Weh euch, Schriftgelehrte und Pharisäer, ihr Heuchler, die ihr die Becher und Schüsseln auswendig reinlich haltet, inwendig aber ist's voll Raubes und Fraßes!
26 Du blinder Pharisäer, reinige zum ersten das Inwendige an Becher und Schüssel, auf das auch das Auswendige rein werde!
27 Weh euch, Schriftgelehrte und Pharisäer, ihr Heuchler, die ihr gleich seid wie die übertünchten Gräber, welche auswendig hübsch scheinen, aber inwendig sind sie voller Totengebeine und alles Unflats!
28 Also auch ihr: von außen scheint ihr den Menschen fromm, aber in wendig seid ihr voller Heuchelei und Untugend.
29 Weh euch, Schriftgelehrte und Pharisäer, ihr Heuchler, die ihr der Propheten Gräber bauet und schmücket der Gerechten Gräber
30 und sprecht: Wären wir zu unsrer Väter Zeiten gewesen, so wollten wir nicht teilhaftig sein mit ihnen an der Propheten Blut!
31 So gebt ihr über euch selbst Zeugnis, daß ihr Kinder seid derer, die die Propheten getötet haben.
32 Wohlan, erfüllet auch ihr das Maß eurer Väter!
33 Ihr Schlangen und Otterngezücht! wie wollt ihr der höllischen Verdammnis entrinnen?
34 Darum siehe, ich sende zu euch Propheten und Weise und Schriftgelehrte; und deren werdet ihr etliche töten und kreuzigen, und etliche werdet ihr geißeln in ihren Schulen und werdet sie verfolgen von einer Stadt zu der anderen;
35 auf daß über euch komme all das gerechte Blut, das vergossen ist auf Erden, von dem Blut des gerechten Abel an bis auf das Blut des Zacharias, des Sohnes Berechja's, welchen ihr getötet habt zwischen dem Tempel und dem Altar.
36 Wahrlich ich sage euch, daß solches alles wird über dies Geschlecht kommen.
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, die du tötest die Propheten und steinigst, die zu dir gesandt sind! wie oft habe ich deine Kinder versammeln wollen, wie eine Henne versammelt ihre Küchlein unter ihre Flügel; und ihr habt nicht gewollt!
38 Siehe, euer Haus soll euch wüst gelassen werden.
39 Denn ich sage euch: Ihr werdet mich von jetzt an nicht sehen, bis ihr sprecht: Gelobt sei, der da kommt im Namen des HERRN!
Matthew 23
Tree of Life Version
Seven Woes
23 Then Yeshua spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying, “The Torah scholars and Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses. 3 So whatever they tell you, do and observe. But don’t do what they do; for what they say, they do not do. 4 They tie up heavy loads, hard to carry,[a] and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 All their works they do to be noticed by men. They make their tefillin wide and their tzitziyot long. [b] 6 They love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called rabbi by men.
8 “But you are not to be called rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And call no man on earth your father; for One is your Father, who is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Messiah. 11 But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
13 “But woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not enter yourselves, nor do you let those enter who are trying to go in. (14 )[c]
15 “Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel over land and sea to make one convert. And when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourself.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘Whoever swears by the Temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the Temple, he is obligated.’ 17 O fools and blind ones! Which is greater, the gold or the Temple that made the gold holy? [d] 18 And you say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.’ 19 O blind ones! Which is greater, the offering or the altar that makes the offering holy? [e] 20 Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the Temple, swears both by the Temple and by Him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! You tithe[f] mint and dill and cumin, yet you have neglected the weightier matters of Torah—justice and mercy and faithfulness. It is necessary to do these things without neglecting the others. 24 O blind guides, straining out a gnat while swallowing a camel!
25 “Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and uncontrolled desire. 26 O blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.
27 “Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, you appear righteous to men on the outside, but are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the tzaddikim. 30 And you say, ‘If we’d been alive in the days of our forefathers, we wouldn’t have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers! 33 O snakes, you brood of vipers! How will you escape the condemnation of Gehenna?
34 “Because of this, behold, I’m sending you prophets and wise men and Torah scholars. Some of them you will kill and execute at the stake, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city. 35 And so, upon you shall come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah,[g] whom you murdered between the Temple and the altar. [h] 36 Amen, I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.”
Holy Temple to Be Destroyed
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate! [i] 39 For I tell you, you will never see Me again until you say, ‘Baruch ha-ba b’shem Adonai. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”[j]
Footnotes
- Matthew 23:4 Some mss. omit hard to carry.
- Matthew 23:6 cf. Exod. 13:9, 16; Deut. 6:8; 11:18; Num. 15:37-41.
- Matthew 23:14 Some manuscripts add v. 14: Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, while praying at length as a show. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. cf. Mk. 12:40; Lk. 20:47.
- Matthew 23:18 cf. Exod. 30:29.
- Matthew 23:20 cf. Exod. 29:37.
- Matthew 23:23 cf. Lev. 27:30; Deut. 12:6, 17; 14:22-23; Mal. 3:8-10.
- Matthew 23:35 Some mss. omit son of Berechiah.
- Matthew 23:36 cf. Gen. 4:8; Zech. 1:1; 2 Chr. 24:21.
- Matthew 23:39 cf. Jer. 12:7; 22:5
- Matthew 23:39 Ps. 118:26.
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