Matthew 23
English Standard Version
Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees
23 Then Jesus (A)said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 (B)“The scribes and the Pharisees (C)sit on Moses' seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, (D)but not the works they do. (E)For they preach, but do not practice. 4 (F)They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,[a] and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 (G)They do all their deeds (H)to be seen by others. For they make (I)their phylacteries broad and (J)their fringes long, 6 and they (K)love the place of honor at feasts and (L)the best seats in the synagogues 7 and (M)greetings in (N)the marketplaces and being called (O)rabbi[b] by others. 8 (P)But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are (Q)all brothers.[c] 9 (R)And call no man your father on earth, for (S)you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, (T)the Christ. 11 (U)The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 (V)Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 “But woe (W)to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you (X)shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you (Y)neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.[d] 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single (Z)proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a (AA)child of (AB)hell[e] as yourselves.
16 “Woe to (AC)you, (AD)blind guides, who say, (AE)‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or (AF)the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by (AG)the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or (AH)the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by (AI)him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by (AJ)heaven swears by (AK)the throne of God and by (AL)him who sits upon it.
23 (AM)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For (AN)you tithe mint and dill and (AO)cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: (AP)justice and mercy and faithfulness. (AQ)These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing (AR)a camel!
25 (AS)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For (AT)you clean the outside of (AU)the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of (AV)greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of (AW)the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
27 (AX)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like (AY)whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and (AZ)all uncleanness. 28 So you also (BA)outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of (BB)hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 (BC)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are (BD)sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 (BE)Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, (BF)you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to (BG)hell? 34 (BH)Therefore (BI)I send you (BJ)prophets and wise men and (BK)scribes, (BL)some of whom you will kill and crucify, and (BM)some you will (BN)flog in your synagogues and (BO)persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all (BP)the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous (BQ)Abel to the blood of (BR)Zechariah the son of Barachiah,[f] whom you murdered between (BS)the sanctuary and (BT)the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, (BU)all these things will come upon this generation.
Lament over Jerusalem
37 (BV)“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that (BW)kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have (BX)gathered (BY)your children together (BZ)as a hen gathers her brood (CA)under her wings, and (CB)you were not willing! 38 See, (CC)your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, (CD)‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
Footnotes
- Matthew 23:4 Some manuscripts omit hard to bear
- Matthew 23:7 Rabbi means my teacher, or my master; also verse 8
- Matthew 23:8 Or brothers and sisters
- Matthew 23:13 Some manuscripts add here (or after verse 12) verse 14: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation
- Matthew 23:15 Greek Gehenna; also verse 33
- Matthew 23:35 Some manuscripts omit the son of Barachiah
Matthew 23
New American Standard Bible
Hypocrisy Exposed
23 (A)Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: “(B)The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses. 3 Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and [a]comply with it all, but do not do [b]as they do; for they say things and do not do them. 4 And (C)they tie up heavy burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as their finger. 5 And they do all their deeds (D)to be noticed by other people; for they (E)broaden their [c]phylacteries and lengthen (F)the tassels of their garments. 6 And they (G)love the place of honor at banquets, and the seats of honor in the synagogues, 7 and personal greetings in the marketplaces, and being called [d](H)Rabbi by the people. 8 But as for you, (I)do not be called [e](J)Rabbi; for only One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. 9 And do not call anyone on earth your father; for only (K)One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called [f]leaders; for only One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11 (L)But the greatest of you shall be your servant. 12 (M)Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
Eight Woes
13 “(N)But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, (O)because you shut the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter it yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.[g]
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one [h](P)proselyte; and when he becomes one, you [i]make him twice as much a son of [j](Q)hell as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, (R)blind guides, who say, ‘(S)Whoever swears by the [k]temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the [l]temple is obligated.’ 17 You fools and blind men! (T)Which is [m]more important, the gold or the [n]temple that sanctified the gold? 18 And you say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the [o]offering that is on it is obligated.’ 19 You blind men, (U)which is [p]more important, the [q]offering or the altar that sanctifies the [r]offering? 20 Therefore, the one who swears by the altar, swears both by [s]the altar and by everything on it. 21 And the one who swears by the [t]temple, swears both by [u]the temple and by Him who (V)dwells in it. 22 And the one who swears by [v]heaven, (W)swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
23 “(X)Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and [w]cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24 You (Y)blind guides, who [x]strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For (Z)you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full [y]of robbery and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee, first (AA)clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the [z]outside of it may also become clean.
27 “(AB)Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you too, outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “(AC)Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 and you say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves, that you (AD)are [aa]sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 [ab]Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. 33 You snakes, (AE)you [ac]offspring of vipers, how [ad]will you escape the [ae]sentence of [af](AF)hell?
34 “(AG)Therefore, behold, (AH)I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will (AI)flog in your synagogues, and (AJ)persecute from city to city, 35 so that upon you will fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous (AK)Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the (AL)son of Berechiah, whom (AM)you murdered between the [ag]temple and the altar. 36 Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon (AN)this generation.
Grieving over Jerusalem
37 “(AO)Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who (AP)kills the prophets and stones those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, (AQ)the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38 Behold, (AR)your house is being left to you desolate! 39 For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘(AS)Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
Footnotes
- Matthew 23:3 Lit keep all
- Matthew 23:3 Lit according to their deeds
- Matthew 23:5 I.e., small pouches containing Scripture texts, worn on the left forearm and forehead for religious purposes
- Matthew 23:7 In Heb “My Teacher” or “My Master”
- Matthew 23:8 In Heb “My Teacher” or “My Master”
- Matthew 23:10 Or teachers
- Matthew 23:13 Late mss add (traditionally v 14): Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses even while for appearances’ sake you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation (as v 14); cf. Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47
- Matthew 23:15 Or convert
- Matthew 23:15 I.e., doom him to hell
- Matthew 23:15 Gr Gehenna
- Matthew 23:16 Or sanctuary
- Matthew 23:16 Or sanctuary
- Matthew 23:17 Lit greater
- Matthew 23:17 Or sanctuary
- Matthew 23:18 Or gift
- Matthew 23:19 Lit greater
- Matthew 23:19 Or gift
- Matthew 23:19 Or gift
- Matthew 23:20 Lit it
- Matthew 23:21 Or sanctuary
- Matthew 23:21 Lit it
- Matthew 23:22 I.e., an indirect reference to God
- Matthew 23:23 Similar to caraway seeds
- Matthew 23:24 Or filter out
- Matthew 23:25 Or as a result of
- Matthew 23:26 If the inside was ritually unclean, the entire vessel was unclean whether the outside was cleaned or not (cf. Num 19:15)
- Matthew 23:31 Or descendants
- Matthew 23:32 I.e., finish what they started
- Matthew 23:33 Or brood
- Matthew 23:33 Lit are you to escape
- Matthew 23:33 Or judgment
- Matthew 23:33 Gr Gehenna
- Matthew 23:35 Or sanctuary
Matye 23
Haitian Creole Version
23 ¶ Apre sa, Jezi pale ak foul moun yo ansanm ak disip li yo, li di yo:
2 Dirèktè lalwa yo ak farizyen yo la pou esplike Lalwa Moyiz la.
3 Se pou nou koute yo, se pou nou fè tou sa yo di nou fè. Men, pa fè tankou yo. Paske yo menm, yo pa fè sa yo di nou fè.
4 Yo mare gwo chay lou yo mete sou zepòl lòt moun. Men, yo menm yo p'ap leve yon ti pwent dwèt pou ede moun yo pote chay la.
5 Tou sa yo fè, se pou moun kapab wè yo. Gade gwosè meday ki make ak pawòl Liv la yo mare sou fwon yo ak nan bra yo! Gade longè ganiti ki nan woulèt rad long yo!
6 Yo renmen pi bon plas nan reseptyon. Yo renmen chita kote pou tout moun wè yo nan sinagòg.
7 Yo renmen pou moun di yo bonjou jouk atè lè yo sou plas piblik, pou moun rele yo: Mèt, Mèt.
8 Men, nou menm, pa fè moun rele nou Mèt, paske se yon sèl mèt nou genyen. Apa sa, nou tout se frè.
9 Pa rele pesonn sou latè papa, paske nou gen yon sèl papa: sa ki nan syèl la.
10 Pa kite yo rele nou chèf, paske nou gen yon sèl chèf, se Kris la.
11 Moun ki pi grannèg nan mitan nou an, se moun k'ap sèvi nou an.
12 Moun ki vle leve tèt li, y'a desann li. Moun ki desann tèt li, y'a leve li.
13 ¶ Malè pou nou, nou menm dirèktè lalwa ak farizyen, bann ipokrit! Nou fèmen pòt ki mennen nan Peyi Wa ki nan syèl la pou pesonn pa antre. Nou menm, nou pa antre ladan li. Lèfini, moun ki ta vle antre, nou enpoze yo antre.
14 Malè pou nou, nou menm dirèktè lalwa ak farizyen, bann ipokrit! N'ap piye pòv vèv yo nèt ale, an menm tan n'ap plede fè lapriyè byen long pou parèt pi bon. Se poutèt sa, kondannasyon nou pral pi rèd toujou.
15 Malè pou nou, nou menm dirèktè lalwa ak farizyen, bann ipokrit! N'ap vwayaje toupatou sou lanmè ak sou latè pou nou ka konvèti yon moun lòt nasyon nan relijyon nou an. Lè nou resi jwenn yonn, nou fè l' tounen yon pitit Satan de fwa pi mechan pase nou.
16 Malè pou nou, avèg k'ap kondi moun! Nou di konsa: Yon moun te mèt sèmante sou tanp lan, li pa bezwen kenbe pawòl li pou sa. Men, si l' sèmante sou lò ki nan tanp la, se pou l' kenbe pawòl li.
17 Bann egare, bann moun je pete! Kisa ki pi konsekan: lò a osinon tanp lan kote yo fè lò a sèvi pou Bondye?
18 Nou di ankò: O wi, si yon moun sèmante sou lòtèl la, se pa anyen sa. Li pa bezwen kenbe pawòl li. Men, si l' sèmante sou ofrann ki sou lòtèl la, se pou l' kenbe pawòl li.
19 Bann je pete! Kisa ki pi konsekan: ofrann lan osinon lòtèl la kote yo mete ofrann lan apa pou Bondye?
20 Se sa ki fè, moun ki sèmante sou lòtèl la, li sèmante sou lòtèl la ansanm ak tou sa ki sou li.
21 Moun ki sèmante sou tanp lan, li sèmante sou tanp lan ansanm ak sou Bondye ki rete nan tanp lan.
22 Moun ki sèmante sou syèl la, li sèmante sou fotèy kote Bondye chita a ansanm ak sou Bondye li menm ki chita sou fotèy la.
23 Malè pou nou, nou menm dirèktè lalwa ak farizyen, bann ipokrit! Nou bay Bondye ladim nan rekòt pye mant, pye ani etwale ak pye pèsi, men, nou neglije bagay ki pi konsekan nan lalwa a: n'ap fè lenjistis, nou pa gen kè sansib, nou pa kenbe pawòl nou. Men sa pou n' te fè san nou pa neglije lòt bagay yo.
24 Nou menm k'ap kondi pèp la, nou se yon bann avèg pou tèt pa nou. Nou pase lèt la nan paswa pou nou wete ti mouch ki tonbe ladan li. Men, nou vale yon chwal!
25 Malè pou nou, nou menm dirèktè lalwa ak farizyen, bann ipokrit! Nou netwaye tout deyò gode a ak deyò plat la byen netwaye. Men, anndan yo plen ak bagay nou pran nan vòlò, nan fè visye.
26 Farizyen avèg! Pwòpte anndan gode a ak anndan plat la anvan. Se lè sa a deyò yo va pwòp tou.
27 Malè pou nou, nou menm dirèktè lalwa ak farizyen, bann ipokrit! Nou sanble tonm yo blanchi nan simityè. Deyò yo parèt byen bèl, anndan yo plen ak zosman mò ak tout kalite vye bagay pouri.
28 Konsa tou, sou deyò nan je moun, nou sanble moun k'ap mache dwat devan Bondye. Men anndan kè nou, nou plen ipokrizi ak mechanste.
29 Malè pou nou, nou menm dirèktè lalwa ak farizyen, bann ipokrit! Gade, n'ap bati bèl tonm pou pwofèt yo, nou mete flè sou kavo moun ki te mache dwat devan Bondye yo.
30 Epi n'ap di: Si nou te viv nan tan zansèt nou yo, nou pa ta dakò ak yo lè yo t'ap touye pwofèt yo.
31 Lè nou di sa, nou admèt nou menm tou se pitit pitit moun ki te ansasinen pwofèt yo nou ye.
32 Konsa, nou mèt fin fè sa zansèt nou yo te kòmanse fè a.
33 Bann rize, bann vèmen! Kouman n'a fè chape anba chatiman lanfè a?
34 ¶ Se poutèt sa, men sa ki genyen: mwen pral voye pwofèt, moun ki gen bon konprann ak dirèktè lalwa ban nou. Nou pral touye kèk, gen ladan yo n'ap kloure sou kwa, gen ladan yo n'ap bat ak fwèt nan sinagòg nou yo, n'ap pousib yo soti yon lavil al nan yon lòt.
35 Konsa, n'ap reskonsab san tout inonsan ki koule sou latè, depi san Abèl, nonm ki te fè sa ki byen devan Bondye a, jouk san Zakari, pitit Barachi, moun nou te ansasinen ant lòtèl la ak kote ki rezève apa pou Bondye nan tanp lan.
36 Sa m'ap di nou la a, se vre wi: Chatiman gen pou tonbe sou moun k'ap viv koulye a pou tout krim sa yo.
37 Jerizalèm, Jerizalèm, ou menm ki touye pwofèt yo, ou menm k'ap touye moun Bondye voye ba ou yo ak kout wòch, depi lontan mwen te vle sanble moun ou yo tankou manman poul k'ap sanble pitit li anba zèl li, men ou pa t' vle!
38 Enben, tout kay ou yo pral rete san yon moun ladan yo.
39 Paske, m'ap di ou sa: Depi jòdi a, nou p'ap wè m' ankò jouk lè a va rive pou nou di: Benediksyon pou Moun ki vini nan non Mèt la.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
