Open English Translation MAT Chapter 23

23 Then Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) spoke to the crowds and to his apprentices, saying, 2 “The religious teachers and the Farisaios party claim Mosheh’s (Moses) authority. 3 Because of that, do everything they tell you to do, and obey all the commands they tell you to obey. However, don’t copy what they do, because they’re only good at telling, not doing. 4 They package up unbearably heavy loads and put them on the people’s shoulders, while they themselves won’t even lift a finger to help. 5 Everything they do do is only done to be a public display in front of the people,[ref] so they have big prayer boxes[ref] and fancy robes.[ref] 6 They love the best places at dinners and the best seats in the Jewish meeting halls. 7 They love being greeted in the marketplaces and addressed as ‘my great one’. 8 But don’t let anyone call you ‘my great one’, because you only have one leader, and you’re all brothers and sisters, 9 and don’t call anyone here on earth your ‘Father’, because you only have one father—a heavenly one. 10 Don’t let anyone call you their mentor, because you only have one teacher, and that’s the messiah. 11 The most important person will be everyone’s servant,[ref] 12 and anyone who praises themself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles themself will be praised.[ref]

13 “You religious teachers and Farisaios are hypocrites and will have a bad end, because you’re actually keeping people away from the heavenly kingdom—you don’t enter yourselves, and nor do you allow others to enter.

14 ◘ 15 “You religious teachers and Farisaios are hypocrites and will have a bad end, because you’d travel all the way around the world to make one convert, and then you’d make him twice the son of hell that you are yourselves.

16 “You blind guides will have a bad end. You say that if anyone makes a promise on the temple, it’s worthless, but if they make a promise on the gold in the temple, then they have to honour it. 17 You’re both stupid and blind, because which is greater: the gold, or the temple which makes the gold sacred? 18 And you say that if anyone makes a promise on the altar, it’s worthless, but anyone who makes a promise on the gift on the altar has to honour it. 19 You’re both stupid and blind, because which is greater: the gift, or the altar which makes the gift sacred? 20 Anyone who makes a promise on the altar is bound by both the altar and the things on it. 21 Anyone who makes a promise on the temple is bound by both the temple and God who lives in it. 22 And anyone who makes a promise on heaven is bound by both God’s throne and the one who’s sitting on it.[ref]

23 “You religious teachers and Farisaios are hypocrites and will have a bad end, because you give a tenth of your herbs,[ref] but you ignore the weightier parts of God’s commands, like justice, mercy, and faith. It’s good to tithe, but those other things should also be observed, and not left out. 24 You blind guides! You try to strain out a gnat, and end up swallowing a camel.

25 “You religious teachers and Farisaios are hypocrites and will have a bad end, because you scrub the outsides of your cups and bowls, but the insides are still full of greed and selfishness. 26 You blind Farisaios! First you should clean the inside of your cup or dish, so that the outside can also become clean.

27 “You religious teachers and Farisaios are hypocrites and will have a bad end, because you’re like whitewashed tombs.[ref] On the outside they might look nice, but the insides are full of dead people’s bones and all kinds of impurities, 28 so even though the people might see your godly facade, actually your insides are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “You religious teachers and Farisaios are hypocrites and will have a bad end, because you rebuild the prophets’ tombs and adorn the tombs of godly people, 30 and you tell yourselves, ‘If we’d lived back in our ancestors’ time, we wouldn’t have had any part with them in killing the prophets.’ 31 By saying that, you’re admitting to yourselves that you’re the descendants of the ones who killed the prophets— 32 actually you’re just the same as your ancestors. 33 Bunch of snakes! Brood of vipers! How are you planning to escape being condemned to hell?[ref] 34 Because of that, listen, I’m now sending more prophets and wise preachers and teachers to you people. You’ll kill off some of them and have others executed on posts. You’ll flog some of them in your Jewish meeting halls, and you’ll persecute others from city to city, 35 so that the judgement for the deaths of all the godly people around the world will fall on you people. This includes the blood of innocent Hevel (Abel)[ref] all the way through the centuries to the blood of Zekaryah (Zechariah; Grk. Zakarias) (son of Berekyah) who you people murdered between the temple and the altar.[ref] 36 Yes, I can assure you that all these things will happen to this generation.

37 “Yerushalem (Jerusalem), Yerushalem, the city that murders the prophets and throws rocks to kill those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your inhabitants like a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you didn’t want that. 38 So listen, now your temple will be left uninhabited,[ref] 39 because I’m telling you that you certainly won’t see me again until you can say, ‘The person coming in Yahweh’s name has been blessed.’ ”[ref]