M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
Jesus Tells The Crowds: Do Not Act Like The Scribes And Pharisees
23 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying— “The scribes and the Pharisees sat-down[a] on the seat of Moses. 3 Therefore, do and be keeping all that they tell you. But do not be acting[b] in accordance with their works. For they say things and do not do them. 4 And they bind-up heavy and hard-to-bear burdens[c] and lay them on the shoulders of people. But they are not willing to move[d] them with their finger. 5 And they do all their works so-as to be seen by people. For they widen their phylacteries[e] and lengthen their tassels[f]. 6 And they love the place-of-honor[g] at the banquets, and the seats-of-honor[h] in the synagogues, 7 and the greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’[i] by people. 8 But you— do not be called[j] ‘Rabbi’. For One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call[k] one on earth your father. For One is your Father— the heavenly One. 10 Nor be called master-teachers[l], because your master-teacher is One— the Christ. 11 But the greater[m] of you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever will exalt himself will be humbled, and whoever will humble himself will be exalted.
Woe To You, Scribes And Pharisees. You Are Blind Guides. How Will You Escape Hell?
13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you are shutting the kingdom of the heavens in-front-of [n] people. For you are not entering, nor are you permitting the ones entering to enter. 14 [o] 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you go-around the sea and the dry land to make one proselyte. And when he becomes one, you make him a son of Gehenna[p] double-more than you. 16 Woe to you, blind guides— the ones saying, ‘Whoever swears-an-oath by the temple, it is nothing. But whoever swears-an-oath by the gold of the temple, he is obligated’. 17 Foolish and blind ones! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple having sanctified[q] the gold? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears-an-oath by the altar, it is nothing. But whoever swears-an-oath by the gift[r] on it, he is obligated’. 19 Blind ones! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar sanctifying the gift? 20 Therefore, the one having sworn by the altar is swearing by it and by all the things on it. 21 And the one having sworn by the temple is swearing by it and by the One dwelling-in[s] it. 22 And the one having sworn by heaven is swearing by the throne of God and by the One sitting on it. 23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you are giving-a-tenth-of the mint and the dill and the cummin, and you neglected[t] the weightier things of the Law— the justice, and the mercy, and the faithfulness[u]. But you ought-to-have done these things, and not be neglecting those things. 24 Blind guides— the ones straining-out[v] the gnat, but swallowing[w] the camel! 25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full from[x] [your] plundering and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee— first cleanse the inside of the cup, in order that the outside of it may also become clean! 27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you are similar to burial-places having been whitewashed[y], which outside appear beautiful, but inside are full of bones of dead ones and all impurity! 28 So also you outside appear righteous to people— but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness! 29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you build the burial-places of the prophets and adorn[z] the tombs of the righteous ones, 30 and say, ‘If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been their partners in the blood of the prophets’. 31 So then, you are testifying concerning yourselves that you are sons[aa] of the ones having murdered the prophets. 32 And you— fill-up[ab] the measure of your fathers! 33 Snakes, brood of vipers, how may you escape from the condemnation of [ac] Gehenna?
God Will Avenge The Blood of All The Righteous On You. Your House Is Left Desolate
34 “For this reason behold, I am sending-forth prophets and wise ones and scribes[ad] to you— some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will whip in your synagogues and persecute from city to city— 35 so that all the righteous blood being shed on the earth[ae] may come upon you[af]: from the blood of Abel[ag] the righteous one, up to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one killing the prophets and stoning the ones having been sent-forth to her. How often I wanted to gather together your children the way a hen gathers together her chicks under her wings, and you did not want it. 38 Behold— your house is being left to you desolate[ah]. 39 For I say to you, you will by no means see Me[ai] from now on until you say, ‘Blessed is the One coming in the name of the Lord’”.
23 1 And Paul, having looked-intently at the Sanhedrin, said, “Men, brothers, I have conducted-myself [a] with all good conscience before God up to this day”. 2 And the high priest Ananias[b] commanded the ones standing near him to strike his mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you— whitewashed wall! Do You indeed sit there judging me according to the Law, and violating-the-Law, order that I be struck?” 4 And the ones standing near said, “Are you reviling the high priest of God?” 5 And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it has been written [in Ex 22:28] that ‘You shall not speak badly of a ruler of your people’”.
Paul Divides The Assembly Over The Question of The Resurrection
6 And Paul, having known that the one part of them was of Sadducees and the other of Pharisees, was crying-out in the Sanhedrin, “Men, brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am being judged concerning the hope[c] and resurrection of the dead”. 7 And he having said this, a dispute between the Pharisees and Sadducees took place, and the assembly was divided. 8 For Sadducees say that there is not a resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit— but Pharisees confess all[d] three. 9 And a great clamor took place. And having stood up, some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ part were battling, saying, “We are finding no evil in this man. And what if a spirit did speak to him, or an angel?”
The Romans Take Paul Away
10 And while a great dispute was taking place, the commander— having feared that Paul might be torn-to-pieces by them— ordered the troop[e], having gone down, to snatch him out of the midst of them and bring him to the barracks.
That Night The Lord Appears To Paul And Says He Will Also Testify In Rome
11 And on the following[f] night, the Lord, having stood near him, said, “Take-courage. For as you solemnly-testified in Jerusalem as to the things concerning Me, so you must also testify in Rome”.
The Next Day, Over 40 Jews Swear an Oath To Kill Paul, And Hatch a Plot
12 And having become day, the Jews, having held a gathering, bound themselves under-a-curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until which time they killed Paul. 13 Now there were more than forty having made[g] this sworn-pact— 14 who, having gone to the chief priests and the elders, said, “With a curse[h], we bound ourselves under-a-curse to eat nothing until which time we kill Paul. 15 Now therefore, you, along with the Sanhedrin, notify the commander so that he may bring him down to you, as-though you are intending to determine the things concerning him more accurately. And we are prepared that we might kill him before he draws-near”.
Paul’s Nephew Hears of The Plot, And Informs The Roman Commander
16 But the son of the sister of Paul— having heard-of the ambush, having come and entered into the barracks— reported it to Paul. 17 And Paul, having summoned one of the centurions, said, “Lead this young-man away to the commander, for he has something to report to him”. 18 So indeed the one, having taken him along, led him to the commander. And he says, “Paul the prisoner, having summoned me, asked that I lead this young man to you— he having something to tell you”. 19 And the commander— having taken-hold-of his hand, and having withdrawn privately— was asking, “What is it that you have to report to me?” 20 And he said that “The Jews agreed to ask you so that tomorrow you might bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin, as-though intending to inquire something more accurately concerning him. 21 So don’t you be persuaded by them. For more than forty men from-among them are lying-in-wait-for him who bound themselves under-a-curse neither to eat nor drink until which time they kill him. And now they are prepared, waiting-for the promise[i] from you”.
The Roman Commander Makes Arrangements To Send Paul To Caesarea
22 Then indeed the commander sent away the young-man, having commanded him to tell no one “that you revealed[j] these things to me”. 23 And having summoned a certain two of the centurions, he said, “Prepare two-hundred soldiers and seventy horsemen and two-hundred spearmen[k] so that they may proceed to Caesarea at the third[l] hour of the night”; 24 and that they should provide mounts in order that having put-on Paul, they might bring him safely through to Felix[m] the governor, 25 he having written a letter having this form:
26 “Claudius Lysias, to the most-excellent governor Felix: Greetings. 27 I rescued this man having been seized by the Jews and being about to be killed by them, having come-suddenly-upon them with the troop— having learned that he was a Roman[n]. 28 And wanting to know the reason for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin— 29 whom I found being accused about issues of their Law, but having no accusation[o] worthy of death or imprisonment. 30 And a plot having been disclosed to me that would be against the man, I sent him to you at once, having also ordered his accusers to speak the things against him before you”.
Roman Soldiers Take Paul To Caesarea, Where He Awaits The Arrival of His Accusers
31 So indeed the soldiers, in accordance with the thing having been commanded them, having picked-up Paul, brought him during the night to Antipatris. 32 And on the next day, they[p] returned to the barracks, having let the horsemen depart with him— 33 who, having entered into Caesarea, and having delivered the letter to the governor, presented Paul to him also. 34 And having read it, and having asked from what province he was, and having learned that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers also arrive”— having ordered that he be guarded in the Praetorium[q] of Herod.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing