Jesus said to the crowds and his disciples, “The Pharisees and religious teachers sit on Moses’ seat. So, do everything they tell you to do, but don’t do what they actually do. They don’t practice what they preach. They create heavy burdens that are hard to hold and place them on men’s shoulders but aren’t willing to move the burdens themselves with even their fingers. Everything they do is done to be seen by other people. They make their accessories and clothing fancier. They love to sit at the head of the table at banquets and in the front row in the assemblies, love being greeted in the markets, and being called ‘Teacher’. But, don’t call yourselves ‘Teacher’, because you have a teacher. You are all brothers. Don’t call anyone on earth ‘Father’, because you have a father who is in heaven. Also, don’t be called ‘Master’. Christ is your one master. The greatest here will be your servant. So anyone who helps themselves succeed will be made low, and anyone who makes themselves low will succeed.

I’m sorry for you, scholars and Pharisees. You are fakers because you close off the kingdom of heaven from everyone. You don’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let anyone else in.

I’m sorry for you, scholars and Pharisees. You are fakers because you take over widow’s houses and say long prayers just for show. You will receive a harsher punishment because of this.

I’m sorry for you, scholars and Pharisees. You are fakers because you travel everywhere to convert people, and when someone converts, you make them ready for hell even more than yourselves.

I’m sorry for you, you guides to the blind. You say, ‘It means nothing to give promises to the temple, but if you make promises to the temple’s gold, you owe us.’

You blind idiots! What is more important? Gold, or the temple that set apart the gold for God? You say, if someone makes a promise on the altar it means nothing. But if someone makes a promise on the gifts on the altar, they are obligated to follow through with the promise.

You blind men. What is more important? The gift or the altar which sets the gift apart for God. If someone makes a promise by the altar, they are making a promise by the altar and the gifts that are on it. If someone makes a promise by the temple, they are making a promise by the one who lives in it. If someone makes a promise by heaven, they make a promise by God’s throne and the one sitting on it.

I feel sorry for you teachers and Pharisees. You are fakers! You give mint, dill and cumin but have forgotten the more important law matters including justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have done these things, not forgetting to do anything.

You blind guides! You filter out the flies but swallow the camel!

I feel sorry for you, teachers and Pharisees. You are fakers! You clean the outside of the cup and dish but inside they are full of greed and no self-control. You blind Pharisees! Clean the inside of the cup and the dish first so that the outside can be clean as well.

I feel sorry for you, teachers and Pharisees. You are fakers! You are like graves that have been decorated. Outside they look beautiful, but inside they are full of dead people’s bones and impurities. In the same way, you look good to people on the outside, but inside you are full of fake and illegal stuff.

I feel sorry for you, teachers and Pharisees. You are fakers! You build graves for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the good people. You also say that if you lived in the previous generation, you wouldn’t have taken part in killing the prophets.

So you admit that you are descendants of the people who killed the prophets. Finish what your ancestors started. You snakes! Sons of vipers! How are you going to escape hell?

This is why I’ve sent prophets and wise men and teachers to you. You will torture and kill some of them. Some of them you will flog in your synagogues and hunt them from town to town until all the good people’s deaths will be your fault, from the death of the good man Abel until the death of Berekiah’s son Zechariah, who you killed between the temple and the altar. I’m honestly telling you, All this will happen to this generation.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem is killing the prophets and stoning the people sent to her. I often gathered your children together, like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not interested! Look, the abandoned house is yours. I’m telling you, you won’t see me from now until you say, ‘We bless the one coming in the Lord’s name.'”

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Continue exploring Matthew 23

If you’d like to read Matthew 23 in other translations, here are a few BibleHub links:
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, try Matthew 23 in the English Standard Version.
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, try Matthew 23 in the New International Version.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, try Matthew 23 in the Contemporary English Version.

If you prefer to read the Bible in a hard-copy format, here are cheaper versions from Amazon:
[These are Amazon affiliate links which support the production of this blog]
For a translation that aims to be word-for-word, ESV Economy Bible
For a translation that aims to be more thought-for-thought, NIV, Economy Bible, Paperback: Accurate. Readable. Clear.
For a translation that aims to communicate the overall meaning, Holy Bible: Contemporary English Version

If you’d like to explore Matthew in more depth, here are some commentaries I would recommend:
[These are Amazon affiliate links which support the production of this blog]
Easy to access commentaries that include life applications:
The NIV Application Commentary: Matthew
Matthew (The Story of God Bible Commentary)
For a commentary that goes into more depth:
The Gospel of Matthew (The New International Commentary on the New Testament)