Matthew 23
EasyEnglish Bible
Jesus talks about dangerous teachers
23 After that, Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples. 2 He said, ‘The teachers of God's Law and the Pharisees have authority to explain the Law of Moses. 3 So you must obey everything that they teach you. But you should not do the same things that they do. They tell you what the Law of Moses teaches. But then they themselves do not obey it. 4 The rules that they give you are difficult to obey. Their rules are like heavy luggage, which they make you carry. But they themselves will not help you to carry that luggage. They will not agree to use even one finger to help you.[a]
5 The Pharisees do things only so that people will see them. They wear little boxes with words from the Bible in them, but they make them really big. They also make the tassels on their clothes very long.[b] 6 They like to sit in the important places at special meals. They also choose to sit in the best seats in the meeting places. 7 They like people to praise them in the market place. They want people to call them “Teacher.”
8 You all belong to God's family. You have only one Teacher. So nobody should call another person, “Teacher”.[c] 9 Also, do not call any other person in the world, “Father”. You have only one Father, and he is in heaven.[d] 10 And do not call each other “Leader”. You have only one Leader. He is the Messiah that God has chosen. 11 The person among you who is most important will be your servant. 12 Some people lift themselves up to be important. But God will bring them down low. Other people are humble. God will lift up those people to a good place.’
Jesus speaks against the teachers of God's Law and the Pharisees
13 Jesus spoke to the teachers of God's Law and the Pharisees. ‘It will be very bad for you,’ he said. ‘You are hypocrites! You have stopped people who wanted to go into the kingdom of heaven. It is like you have shut the door so that they cannot go in. Then you yourselves do not even go in.
14 [It will be very bad for you, teachers of God's Law and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! You take things away from women after their husbands have died. You pray for a long time so that other people will praise you. God will punish you much more than other people.][e]
15 It will be very bad for you, teachers of God's Law and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! You travel far across land and sea. You do this to make one person believe what you believe. Then, when he does believe your ideas, he becomes worse than you are. He shows that he belongs to hell even more than you do.
16 It will be very bad for you, teachers. You cannot see what is true, but you show people which way to go.[f] You say to people, “You may make a promise by the name of the temple. Then it is not a serious promise. You do not have to do it. But you may also make a promise by the gold things in the temple. Then it is a serious promise, and you must do it.” 17 This shows that you are fools. You do not understand what is true. Think about which of these is more important. Is it the gold things in the temple? Or is it the temple itself? It is the temple that makes the gold things special. 18 You also say to people, “You may make a promise by the altar in the temple. Then it is not a serious promise. You do not have to do it. But you may also make a promise by the gifts on that altar. Then it is a serious promise and you must do it.” 19 You are people who cannot understand what is true. Think about which of these things is more important. Is it the gifts on the altar? Or is it the altar itself? It is the altar that makes the gifts special. 20 Remember this: Somebody may make a promise by the name of the altar. Then he is making a promise by God's name. The altar as well as all the gifts on it are special to God. 21 Also, somebody may make a promise by the name of the temple. Then he is making a promise in the name of God, who lives there. 22 Or somebody may make a promise by heaven. Then he is making a promise by the place where God sits and rules. So he is making a promise by the name of God himself.[g]
23 It will be very bad for you, teachers of God's Law and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! When you grow spices to cook with food, you give a tenth part of these small things to God. You are right to obey this rule. But you do not obey the more important parts of God's Law. You do not help people in a good way. You are not kind to them. You do not always do what God says is right. You should have done these important things as well as the other small things. 24 You are like blind people, but you show other people which way to go. You carefully take a small fly out of your water so that you do not drink it. But then you drink the large animal that is swimming in it![h]
25 It will be very bad for you, teachers of God's Law and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! You always clean the outside of your cups and plates very carefully. You only clean the outside part that people can see. But on the inside, everything is still dirty. Inside you, your minds are full of bad thoughts. You want to have more things for yourself. You hurt other people to get what you want. 26 Pharisees, you do not see what is true! You must first clean the inside of the cup. Then the outside that people can see will also be clean.
27 It will be very bad for you, teachers of God's law and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! You are like a grave that has nice white paint on the outside and it looks beautiful. But on the inside it is full of bones and disgusting things. 28 You are the same as that. Other people look at you. They think that you are good and you obey God. But on the inside you are hypocrites. Your minds are full of many bad thoughts.
29 It will be very bad for you, teachers of God's Law and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! You build up the places where people have buried God's prophets. You make the places where they have buried good people to be beautiful. 30 You say, “Our ancestors killed God's prophets long ago. If we had lived at that time, we would not have helped our ancestors to do that.” 31 So you are speaking against yourselves. You show that you are the sons of those people who killed God's prophets. 32 Now you must finish the work that your ancestors began to do!
33 You are like a family of dangerous snakes! You will not be able to run away. God will surely punish you, and he will send you to hell. 34 So listen to this. God says, “I will send prophets to you. I will also send to you people who know many things. And I will send people to teach you what is true. But you will kill some of these people. You will kill some of them on a cross. In the places where you meet to pray, you will hit some of them with whips. They will run from one town to another town, but you will follow them.” 35 Because of all this, God will punish you for all the good people that you and your ancestors have killed. Long ago, Abel was the first of those good people. You also killed Zechariah, the son of Berekiah. He died in the yard of the temple near the altar.[i] 36 Yes, I tell you this: God will punish the people who are alive today for all those murders.
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Your people have killed God's prophets. They have thrown stones to kill other people that God has sent to you. Many times, I have wanted to bring all of your people near to me. A female bird covers her babies with her body to make them safe. But you would not let me keep you from danger like that. 38 So listen! Your place will now become like a wilderness where nobody lives. 39 And I tell you this. You will not see me again until the day when you say, “May the Lord God bless the man who comes with his authority!” ’[j]
Footnotes
- 23:4 The teachers of God's Law and the Pharisees taught extra rules to the Laws of Moses. This made it more difficult for people to obey all the Laws.
- 23:5 These little boxes were called phylacteries. A Jewish man would tie one to his head or to his arm. There was some paper with words from the Bible in the box. They wore the phylacteries and the tassels for other people to see. They wanted people to think that they really loved God.
- 23:8 Jesus is our master and our teacher.
- 23:9 Jesus was saying that God is their Father.
- 23:14 Verse 14 is not in all copies of Matthew's book.
- 23:16 Jesus meant that the teachers of God's Law and Pharisees did not understand about the kingdom. They were like men who could not see. They did not know God's way, but they were trying to teach it to other people.
- 23:22 Perhaps a person wants to make a promise very strong. So he uses someone's name to make the promise stronger. Jesus says that we should not do this. If we make a promise, people should be able to trust us to do what we have said.
- 23:24 The teachers of God's Law and the Pharisees obeyed the least important parts of the Law of Moses. But they did not obey the important parts. They did not understand that they were doing the wrong things.
- 23:35 Through the years bad men have killed many good men. The prophets wrote in the Bible about many people who died in that way. Abel was the first person like that. See Genesis 4:8. Zechariah was another good person that bad people killed. See 2 Chronicles 24:20-21.
- 23:39 See Psalms 118:26
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.
Matthew 23
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Jesus Denounces Scribes and Pharisees
23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’s seat;(A) 3 therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it, but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,[a] and lay them on the shoulders of others, but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.(B) 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others, for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long.(C) 6 They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues(D) 7 and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces 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 and sisters.(E) 9 And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father, the one in heaven.(F) 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah.[b] 11 The greatest among you will be your servant.(G) 12 All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.(H)
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in you stop them.[c](I) 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell[d] as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, blind guides who say, ‘Whoever swears by the sanctuary is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by the oath.’(J) 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that has made the gold sacred?(K) 18 And you say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on the altar is bound by the oath.’ 19 How blind you are! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?(L) 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it, 21 and whoever swears by the sanctuary swears by it and by the one who dwells in it, 22 and whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it.(M)
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others.(N) 24 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 plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and of the plate,[e] so that the outside also may become clean.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of uncleanness. 28 So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets 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 Thus 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 brood of vipers! How can you escape the judgment of hell?[f] 34 For this reason I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, 35 so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation.
The Lament over Jerusalem
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you, desolate.[g] 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”(O)
Footnotes
- 23.4 Other ancient authorities lack hard to bear
- 23.10 Or the Christ
- 23.13 Other authorities add 23.14 here (or after 23.12): Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for the sake of appearance you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation
- 23.15 Gk Gehenna
- 23.26 Other ancient authorities lack and of the plate
- 23.33 Gk Gehenna
- 23.38 Other ancient authorities lack desolate
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.