Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees(A)

23 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: (B)“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 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. (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. But all their works they do to (E)be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. (F)They love the [b]best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ (G)But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your [c]Teacher, [d]the Christ, and you are all brethren. 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

  1. Matthew 23:3 NU omits to observe
  2. Matthew 23:6 Or place of honor
  3. Matthew 23:8 Leader
  4. Matthew 23:8 NU omits the Christ
  5. Matthew 23:12 put down
  6. Matthew 23:12 lifted up
  7. Matthew 23:14 NU omits v. 14.
  8. Matthew 23:15 Gr. Gehenna
  9. Matthew 23:17 NU sanctified
  10. Matthew 23:20 Swears an oath
  11. Matthew 23:21 M dwelt
  12. Matthew 23:25 M unrighteousness
  13. Matthew 23:29 decorate
  14. Matthew 23:33 offspring

23 Awo Yesu n’ayogera eri ebibiina n’abayigirizwa be ng’agamba nti, (A)“Abawandiisi n’Abafalisaayo batudde ku ntebe ya Musa. Noolwekyo mukole era mwekuume buli kye babagamba wabula temugoberera bikolwa byabwe. Kubanga boogera naye ne batakola bye bagamba. (B)Basiba emigugu emizito ne bagitikka abalala, so nga bo n’okugezaako tebagezaako kukwatako n’engalo yaabwe.

(C)“Buli kye bakola bakikola abantu babalabe. Bambala ku mikono gyabwe obusawo[a] omuli ennyiriri eziva mu Byawandiikibwa, ne bawanvuya amatanvuuwa ku byambalo byabwe, agajjukiza abagambala okudda eri Mukama, nga babikola okulaga ababalaba. (D)Baagala nnyo ebifo eby’oku mwanjo ku mbaga, ne mu bifo eby’ekitiibwa mu makuŋŋaaniro. (E)Banyumirwa nnyo okuweebwa ekitiibwa mu butale n’okuyitibwa ‘Labbi.’

“Temweyitanga ‘Labbi[b] ,’ kubanga Katonda yekka ye Muyigiriza wammwe, naye mmwe muli baaluganda. (F)Era temuyitanga muntu yenna ku nsi ‘Kitammwe,’ kubanga Katonda ali mu ggulu ye yekka gwe muteekwa okuyita bwe mutyo. 10 Era temuganyanga muntu yenna kubayita ‘bayigiriza,’ kubanga omuyigiriza wammwe ali omu yekka, ye Kristo. 11 (G)Oyo ayagala abantu okumussaamu ekitiibwa. Asaana abeere muweereza waabwe. 12 (H)Naye buli alyegulumiza alikkakkanyizibwa, na buli alyetoowaza aligulumizibwa.

13 (I)“Zibasanze mmwe Abawandiisi, nammwe Abafalisaayo. Bannanfuusi mmwe! Muziyiza abantu abalala okuyingira mu bwakabaka obw’omu ggulu, ate nammwe ne mutayingira.

14 “Bannanfuusi mmwe Abawandiisi nammwe Abafalisaayo! Mulowoozesa abantu nti muli batuukirivu nga musaba essaala, so ng’ate mwekyusa ne mugobaganya bannamwandu mu mayumba gaabwe. 15 (J)Zibasanze bannanfuusi mmwe Abawandiisi nammwe Abafalisaayo! Kubanga mutambula okwetooloola ennyanja ne ku lukalu musobole okukyusa omuntu, naye bw’akyuka, mumufuula mwana wa ggeyeena okusingawo emirundi ebiri.

16 (K)“Zibasanze mmwe abakulembeze abazibe b’amaaso abagamba nti, ‘Okulayira Yeekaalu, si nsonga, naye oyo alayira zaabu ali mu Yeekaalu, asaana okukituukiriza!’ 17 (L)Mmwe abatalina magezi abazibe b’amaaso! Ku ebyo byombi kiruwa ekisingako obukulu, zaabu oba Yeekaalu efuula zaabu okuba entukuvu? 18 Ate mugamba nti, ‘Omuntu okulayira ekyoto, kirina amakulu, naye bw’alayira ebirabo ebireeteddwa ku kyoto, asaana okukituukiriza!’ 19 (M)Mmwe abazibe b’amaaso, ku byombi kiruwa ekisinga kinnaakyo obukulu, ekirabo ekiri ku kyoto oba ekyoto kyennyini ekifuula ekirabo ekyo okuba ekitukuvu? 20 Bwe mulayira ekyoto, muba mulayira ekyoto n’ebikiriko byonna, 21 (N)era bwe mulayira Yeekaalu muba mulayira Yeekaalu ne Katonda agibeeramu. 22 (O)Era bwe mulayira eggulu, muba mulayira n’entebe ya Katonda ey’obwakabaka n’oyo yennyini agituulako.

23 (P)“Zibasanze, mmwe Abawandiisi, nammwe Abafalisaayo! Bannanfuusi mmwe! Kubanga muwaayo ekimu eky’ekkumi ku buli kintu, ne ku buli kika kya muddo oguwunyisa obulungi era oguwoomesa enva, okutuukira ddala ne ku kalagala akasinga obutono, naye ne mulagajjalira ebintu ebisinga obukulu eby’amateeka, ng’obwenkanya, n’okusaasira n’okukkiriza. Weewaawo musaanidde okuwaayo ekitundu eky’ekkumi, naye ebintu ebirala ebisinga obukulu temusaanidde kubiragajjalira. 24 (Q)Mmwe abakulembeze abazibe b’amaaso! Musengejja akabu muleme kukanywera mu mazzi, naye ne munyweramu eŋŋamira!

25 (R)“Zibasanze mmwe Abawandiisi nammwe Abafalisaayo! Bannanfuusi mmwe! Muzigula kungulu kw’ekikopo ne kungulu kw’ebbakuli, naye nga munda mujjudde omululu n’okwefaako mwekka. 26 Mmwe Abafalisaayo abazibe b’amaaso! Musooke mulongoose munda w’ekikopo olwo nno mulongoose ne kungulu.

27 (S)“Zibasanze mmwe Abawandiisi nammwe Abafalisaayo! Mulabika ng’amalaalo agatemagana kungulu,[c] songa munda gajjudde amagumba g’abafu n’obuvundu obwa buli ngeri. 28 Mulabika ng’abantu abatuukirivu kungulu, songa munda mujjudde obunnanfuusi n’obumenyi bw’amateeka.

29 (T)“Zibasanze mmwe Abawandiisi nammwe Abafalisaayo! Bannanfuusi mmwe! Kubanga muzimbira bannabbi ebijjukizo, ne mutimba ebijjukizo, by’abatuukirivu, 30 ne mulyoka mugamba nti, ‘Naye ddala singa twaliwo mu biseera bya bajjajjaffe tetwandisizza kimu nabo mu kuyiwa omusaayi gw’abannabbi.’ 31 (U)Bwe mwogera mutyo muba mwessaako omusango nga bwe muli abaana b’abo abatta bannabbi. 32 (V)Mugenda nga mutuukiriza ebyo bajjajjammwe bye bataamaliriza.

33 (W)“Mmwe emisota! Abaana b’embalasaasa muliwona mutya omusango ogugenda okubatwaza mu ggeyeena? 34 (X)Kyenva mbaweereza bannabbi, n’abasajja ab’amagezi, n’abawandiisi, abamu mulibatta nga mubakomerera ku musaalaba, n’abalala mulibakuba embooko mu makuŋŋaaniro gammwe, ne mubagobaganya mu bibuga byammwe. 35 (Y)Bwe mutyo omusango gw’okutemula abatuukirivu, okutandikira ku Aberi omutuukirivu okutuuka ku Zaakaliya, mutabani wa Balakiya gwe mwattira wakati wa yeekaalu n’ekyoto, ne gubasingira ddala. 36 (Z)Ddala ddala mbagamba nti ebyo byonna birituuka ku mulembe guno.

37 (AA)“Ggwe Yerusaalemi, ggwe Yerusaalemi atta bannabbi, n’okuba amayinja abo ababa batumiddwa gy’oli, emirundi nga mingi nnyo gye njagadde okukuŋŋaanya abaana bo ng’enkoko bw’ekuŋŋaanya obwana bwayo mu biwaawaatiro byayo, naye n’ogaana. 38 (AB)Laba kaakano ennyumba yo esigalidde awo, kifulukwa. 39 (AC)Kubanga nkugamba nti toliddayo kundaba nate, okutuusa ng’oyogedde nti, ‘Aweereddwa omukisa oyo ajja mu linnya lya Mukama.’ ”

Footnotes

  1. 23:5 bwali bubokisi obutono bwe baateekangamu ennyiriri ez’ebyawandiikibwa ne bwambala mu kyenyi oba ku mukono
  2. 23:8 Labbi kitegeeza Omuyigiriza
  3. 23:27 Omuntu eyalinnyanga ku malaalo, yafukanga atali mulongoofu (laba Kub 19:16). Abantu kyebaava bagasiiganga langi enjeru, basobole okugalaba ne mu kiro