Christian Standard Bible

New Living Translation

1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples:

1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,

2"The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses.

2 “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses.

3Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don't do what they do, because they don't practice what they teach.

3 So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.

4They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry and put them on people's shoulders, but they themselves aren't willing to lift a finger to move them.

4 They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.

5They do everything to be seen by others: They enlarge their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.

5 “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels.

6They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues,

6 And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues.

7greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi' by people.

7 They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’

8"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' because you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters.

8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.

9Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven.

9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your Father.

10You are not to be called instructors either, because you have one Instructor, the Messiah.

10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah.

11The greatest among you will be your servant.

11 The greatest among you must be a servant.

12Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

12 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

13"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you don't go in, and you don't allow those entering to go in.

13 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either.

14

14

15"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell as you are!

15 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are!

16"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever takes an oath by the temple, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.'

16 “Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’

17Blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?

17 Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred?

18Also, 'Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it means nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.'

18 And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding.

19Blind people! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

19 How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred?

20Therefore, the one who takes an oath by the altar takes an oath by it and by everything on it.

20 When you swear ‘by the altar,’ you are swearing by it and by everything on it.

21The one who takes an oath by the temple takes an oath by it and by him who dwells in it.

21 And when you swear ‘by the Temple,’ you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it.

22And the one who takes an oath by heaven takes an oath by God's throne and by him who sits on it.

22 And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne.

23"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These things should have been done without neglecting the others.

23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

24Blind guides! You strain out a gnat, but gulp down a camel!

24 Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!

25"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

25 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence!

26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside of it may also become clean.

26 You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.

27"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity.

27 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity.

28In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

28 Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous,

29 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed, and you decorate the monuments of the godly people your ancestors destroyed.

30and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we wouldn't have taken part with them in shedding the prophets' blood.'

30 Then you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would never have joined them in killing the prophets.’

31So you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

31 “But in saying that, you testify against yourselves that you are indeed the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

32Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors' sins!

32 Go ahead and finish what your ancestors started.

33"Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell?

33 Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?

34This is why I am sending you prophets, sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.

34 “Therefore, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers of religious law. But you will kill some by crucifixion, and you will flog others with whips in your synagogues, chasing them from city to city.

35So all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be charged to you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

35 As a result, you will be held responsible for the murder of all godly people of all time—from the murder of righteous Abel to the murder of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you killed in the Temple between the sanctuary and the altar.

36Truly I tell you, all these things will come on this generation.

36 I tell you the truth, this judgment will fall on this very generation. Jesus Grieves over Jerusalem

37"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.

38See, your house is left to you desolate.

38 And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate.

39For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord '!"

39 For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD !’ ”

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.