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
Матай 23
Священное Писание (Восточный Перевод)
Предостережение от лицемерия(A)
23 Тогда Иса сказал народу и Своим ученикам:
2 – Место Мусы заняли учители Таурата и блюстители Закона. 3 Поэтому вы должны делать всё, что они говорят, но их собственным делам подражать не следует, потому что они проповедуют одно, а делают другое. 4 Они взваливают на плечи людей непомерно тяжёлые ноши, а сами и пальцем не пошевельнут, чтобы хоть чуть-чуть сдвинуть этот груз.
5 Они всё делают напоказ: их коробочки с текстами из Таурата становятся всё шире, и кисточки на краях одежды – всё длиннее.[a] 6 Им нравится занимать почётные места на пирах и в молитвенных домах. 7 Они любят, когда их приветствуют в людных местах и когда люди обращаются к ним: «Учитель».
8 Вас же пусть не называют учителями, потому что у вас только один Учитель, а вы все – братья. 9 И ни к кому на земле не обращайтесь «отец»,[b] потому что у вас только один Отец, Который на небе. 10 Пусть вас не называют наставниками, потому что у вас один только Наставник – Масих. 11 Самый великий из вас пусть будет вам слугой, 12 потому что, кто возвышает себя, будет унижен, а кто принижает себя, будет возвышен.
Иса Масих обличает религиозных вождей(B)
13-14 – Горе вам, учители Таурата и блюстители Закона! Лицемеры! Вы закрываете перед людьми вход в Царство Всевышнего, сами не входите в него и не даёте войти тем, кто хочет.[c]
15 – Горе вам, учители Таурата и блюстители Закона! Лицемеры! Вы проходите море и сушу, чтобы найти себе учеников, а когда вы находите хотя бы одного, то делаете его вдвое больше достойным ада, чем вы сами.
16 – Горе вам, слепые поводыри! Вы говорите: «Если кто поклянётся храмом, это ещё ничего не значит, но если кто поклянётся золотом храма, то он связан своей клятвой». 17 Вы – слепые безумцы! Что важнее: золото или храм, освятивший золото? 18 Вы говорите: «Если кто поклянётся жертвенником, то это ещё ничего не значит, но если кто поклянётся даром, принесённым на жертвенник, тот связан своей клятвой». 19 Слепцы! Что важнее: дар или жертвенник, который освящает дар? 20 Тот, кто поклялся жертвенником, поклялся и всем, что на жертвеннике, 21 и кто клянётся храмом, клянётся и Тем, Кто обитает в храме. 22 Кто клянётся небом, тот клянётся престолом Всевышнего и Тем, Кто сидит на нём.
23 – Горе вам, учители Таурата и блюстители Закона! Лицемеры! Вы даёте десятую часть с мяты, укропа и тмина,[d] а самым важным в Законе – справедливостью, милостью и верностью – вы пренебрегаете. И то нужно делать, и другого не оставлять. 24 Слепые поводыри! Вы отцеживаете комара из вашего питья, а верблюда проглатываете.[e]
25 – Горе вам, учители Таурата и блюстители Закона! Лицемеры! Вы заботитесь о внешнем, в то время как внутри вы полны алчности и распущенности – это всё равно, как если бы вы очищали чаши и блюда только снаружи. 26 Слепой блюститель Закона! Очисти сначала чашу и блюдо внутри, тогда и снаружи они станут чисты.
27 – Горе вам, учители Таурата и блюстители Закона! Лицемеры! Вы – как побелённые гробницы,[f] которые снаружи выглядят красиво, а внутри полны костей мертвецов и всякой нечистоты. 28 Так и вы снаружи можете показаться людям праведными, но внутри вы полны лицемерия и беззакония.
29 – Горе вам, учители Таурата и блюстители Закона! Лицемеры! Вы строите гробницы пророкам, украшаете надгробные памятники праведникам 30 и говорите: «Если бы мы жили во времена наших предков, то мы бы не проливали вместе с ними крови пророков». 31 Тем самым вы свидетельствуете о себе, что вы потомки тех, кто убил пророков. 32 Ну что же, продолжайте пополнять чашу злодейств ваших отцов! 33 Змеи, отродье змеиное! Вы ещё надеетесь избежать осуждения и не попасть в ад?! 34 Вот, Я посылаю к вам пророков, мудрых людей, учителей Таурата, а вы некоторых из них убьёте и распнёте, других будете бичевать в ваших молитвенных домах и гнать из города в город. 35 И потому падёт на вас вина за кровь всех праведников, пролитую на земле, от крови Авеля и до крови Закарии, сына Берехии, которого вы убили во дворе храма, возле жертвенника.[g] 36 Говорю вам истину: наказание за все эти преступления падёт на нынешнее поколение.
Иса Масих оплакивает Иерусалим(C)
37 – О, Иерусалим, Иерусалим, убивающий пророков и побивающий камнями посланных к тебе! Сколько раз Я хотел собрать твоих детей, как птица собирает своих птенцов под крылья, но вы не захотели! 38 А теперь ваш дом оставляется вам пустым.[h] 39 Говорю вам, что вы уже не увидите Меня до тех пор, пока не скажете: «Благословен Тот, Кто приходит во имя Вечного!»[i]
Footnotes
- 23:5 Основываясь на словах Священного Писания (см. Исх. 13:9, 16; Втор. 6:8; 11:18), иудеи во время молитвы привязывали ко лбу и на левую руку кожаные коробочки (филактерии) с текстами из Таурата. Кроме того, они нашивали кисти на края своей верхней одежды (см. Чис. 15:37-41; Втор. 22:12). Такие кисти, по всей вероятности, носил и Сам Иса Масих (см. 9:20; 14:36). Но блюстители Закона, желая показать всем свою особую набожность, чрезмерно увеличивали размеры своих филактерий и длину кистей на одежде.
- 23:9 Здесь нужно понять, что речь не идёт о родных отцах, но о том, что мы никого не должны превозносить в своей среде, используя высокие религиозные титулы, саны и т. п.
- 23:14 В некоторых рукописях присутствуют слова: «Горе вам, учители Таурата и блюстители Закона! Вы разоряете дома вдов и напоказ долго молитесь. За это вас ждёт очень суровое наказание».
- 23:23 См. Лев. 27:30-33; Чис. 18:21; Втор. 14:22-27.
- 23:24 Блюстители Закона процеживали свои напитки, очищая их от комаров, попавших туда, чтобы случайно не съесть их и не оскверниться (см. Лев. 11:20-23). Иса здесь говорит им о том, что они придают значение второстепенному и при этом «проглатывают верблюда», самое большое ритуально нечистое животное в Иудее (см. Лев. 11:4; Втор. 14:7).
- 23:27 В Иудее гробницы обычно белили, чтобы их можно было заметить издалека, поскольку прикосновение к гробнице приводило к ритуальному осквернению (см. Чис. 19:16).
- 23:35 У иудеев был другой порядок книг Священного Писания. И согласно ему, убийство Закарии последнее из упоминаемых там (см. 2 Лет. 24:20-22). Смерть же Авеля была первым убийством на земле (см. Нач. 4:1-10).
- 23:38 См. Иер. 22:5.
- 23:39 Заб. 117:26.
Matthew 23
King James Version
23 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, 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 for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.
21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.
22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
EasyEnglish Bible Copyright © MissionAssist 2019 - Charitable Incorporated Organisation 1162807. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Central Asian Russian Scriptures (CARS)
Священное Писание, Восточный Перевод
Copyright © 2003, 2009, 2013 by IMB-ERTP and Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.