Matthew 23:13–28 — Yeshua reveals the hypocrisy of those who are religious

The OET Readers’ Version is designed to be read alongside the Literal Version. Expand the matching Literal Version beneath each passage. This is still an early look into the drafted text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.

Mat 23:13–28

23:13 Yeshua reveals the hypocrisy of those who are religious

(Mark 12:40; Luke 11:39-42; 44; 52; 20:47)

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 contribute one tenth, 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.

Show matching OET Literal Version passage

Read the Literal Version in context

13 But woe to _you _all, scribes and Farisaios_party, hypocrites.
Because you _all _are _shutting the kingdom of _the heavens before the people, because/for you _all are_ neither _coming _in, nor are _you _all _allowing the ones coming _in to _come _in.

15 Woe to _you _all, scribes and Farisaios_party, hypocrites.
Because you _all _are _going _around the sea and the dry land to _make one convert, and whenever he _may _become, you _all _are _making him a_son of _geenna twice _more than you _all.

16 Woe to _you _all, blind guides, you _all saying:
Whoever wishfully may _swear by the temple, it _is nothing, but whoever wishfully may _swear by the gold of _the temple is _owing.

17 Foolish and blind.
For/Because which is greater, the gold or the temple which having _sanctified the gold?

18 And:
Whoever wishfully may _swear by the altar, it _is nothing, but whoever wishfully may _swear by the gift which on it is _owing.

19 Foolish and blind.
For/Because which greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifying the gift?

20 Therefore the one having _swore by the altar, is _swearing by it and by all the things on it.

21 And the one having _swore by the temple, is _swearing by it and by the one dwelling _in it.

22 And the one having _swore by the heaven, is _swearing by the throne of_ the _god and by the one sitting on it.

23 Woe to _you _all, scribes and Farisaios_party, hypocrites.
Because you _all _are _tithing the mint and the dill and the cummin, and you _all _left the heavier of _the law:
the justice and the mercy and the faith.
But it _was _fitting to _do these things, and _those not to _leave.

24 Blind guides.
You _all straining _out the gnat and swallowing _up the camel.

25 Woe to _you _all, scribes and Farisaios_party, hypocrites.
Because you _all _are _cleansing the part outside of _the cup and of _the dish, but inside they _are _being _full of theft and intemperance.

26 Blind Farisaios_party _member.
Cleanse first the part inside of _the cup and of _the dish, in _order _that the part outside of _them may_ also _become clean.

27 Woe to _you _all, scribes and Farisaios_party, hypocrites.
Because you _all _are _being _like to _tombs having _been _whitewashed, which on _one _hand are _appearing beautiful outwardly, on _the _other _hand inside they _are _being _full of _bones of_the_dead and of _all impurity.

28 Thus also on _one _hand you _all are _being _seen righteous outwardly by _the people, on _the _other _hand inside you _all _are full of _hypocrisy and lawlessness.

23:22: Isa 66:1; Mat 5:34.

23:23: Lev 27:30.

23:27: Acts 23:3.

Mark 12:40–40

40 Those people trick widows out of their properties, but offer long prayers to cover it up. They will be getting a stricter judgement than others.”

Show matching OET Literal Version passage

Read the Literal Version in context

40 the ones devouring the houses of _the widows, and praying long for_a_under _pretense.
These will _be _receiving more _excessive judgement.

Luke 11:39–52

39 But the master said to his host, “Yes, all of you in the Farisaios party clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but your insides are full of theft and wickedness. 40 How stupid! Didn’t God who made the outside part, also make what’s inside? 41 However, if you sacrificially give what’s inside, then everything would then become clean for you.

42 “But you Farisaios won’t end well, because you give a tenth of your herbs and vegetables,[ref] yet you all ignore giving justice and loving God, both of which need to be done and cannot be ignored.