Matthew 23 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Scribes and Pharisees Denounced

1 Then ^G5119 Jesus ^G2424 spoke ^G2980 to the crowds ^G3793 and to His disciples ^G3101,

2 saying ^G3004: “The scribes ^G1122 and the Pharisees ^G5330 have seated ^G2523 themselves ^G2523 in the chair ^G2515 of Moses ^G3475; 3 therefore ^G3767 all ^G3956 that they tell ^G3004 you, do ^G4160 and keep ^G5083, but do not do ^G4160 according ^G2596 to their deeds ^G2041; for they say ^G3004 things and do not do ^G4160 them. 4 And they tie ^G1195 up ^G1195 heavy ^G926 burdens ^G5413 and lay ^G2007 them on men’s ^G444 shoulders ^G5606, but they themselves ^G846 are unwilling ^G3756 G2309 to move ^G2795 them with so much as a finger ^G1147. 5 But they do ^G4160 all ^G3956 their deeds ^G2041 to be noticed ^G2300 by men ^G444; for they broaden ^G4115 their [fn]phylacteries ^G5440 and lengthen ^G3170 the tassels ^G2899 of their garments. 6 And they love ^G5368 the place ^G4411 of ^G4411 honor ^G4411 at banquets ^G1173 and the best ^G4410 seats ^G4410 in the synagogues ^G4864, 7 and respectful greetings ^G783 in the marketplaces ^G58, and being called ^G2564 Rabbi ^G4461 by men ^G444. 8 But do not be called ^G2564 Rabbi ^G4461; for One ^G1520 is your Teacher ^G1320, and you are all ^G3956 brothers ^G80. 9 And do not call ^G2564 anyone on earth ^G1093 your father ^G3962; for One ^G1520 is your Father ^G3962, He who is in heaven ^G3770. 10 Do not be called ^G2564 instructors ^G2519; for One ^G1520 is your Instructor ^G2519, that is, Christ ^G5547. 11 But the greatest ^G3173 among you shall be your servant ^G1249. 12 And whoever ^G3748 exalts ^G5312 himself ^G1438 shall be humbled ^G5013; and whoever ^G3748 humbles ^G5013 himself ^G1438 shall be exalted ^G5312.

Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees

13 “But woe ^G3759 to you, scribes ^G1122 and Pharisees ^G5330, hypocrites ^G5273, because ^G3754 you shut ^G2808 off the kingdom ^G932 of heaven ^G3772 [fn]from [fn]people ^G444; for you do not enter ^G1525 in ^G1525 yourselves ^G4771, nor ^G3761 do you allow ^G863 those ^G3588 who are entering ^G1525 to go ^G1525 in ^G1525.

14 [fn][Woe ^G3759 to you, scribes ^G1122 and Pharisees ^G5330, hypocrites ^G5273, because ^G3754 you devour ^G2719 widows’ ^G5503 houses ^G3614, and for a pretense ^G4392 you make ^G4336 long ^G3117 prayers ^G4336; therefore ^G1223 G3778 you will receive ^G2983 greater ^G4053 condemnation ^G2917.]

15 “Woe ^G3759 to you, scribes ^G1122 and Pharisees ^G5330, hypocrites ^G5273, because ^G3754 you travel ^G4013 around ^G4013 on sea ^G2281 and land ^G3584 to make ^G4160 one ^G1520 [fn]proselyte ^G4339; and when ^G3752 he becomes ^G1096 one, you make ^G4160 him twice ^G1362 as ^G1362 much ^G1362 a son ^G5207 of [fn]hell ^G1067 as yourselves ^G4771.

16 “Woe ^G3759 to you, blind ^G5185 guides ^G3595, who say ^G3004, ‘Whoever ^G3739 G302 swears ^G3660 by the [fn]sanctuary ^G3485, that is nothing ^G3762; but whoever ^G3739 G302 swears ^G3660 by the gold ^G5557 of the [fn]sanctuary ^G3485 is obligated ^G3784.’ 17 You fools ^G3474 and blind ^G5185 men ^G5185! For ^G1063 which ^G5101 is [fn]more ^G3173 important ^G3173, the gold ^G5557 or ^G2228 the sanctuary ^G3485 that sanctified ^G37 the gold ^G5557? 18 And, ‘Whoever ^G3739 G302 swears ^G3660 by the altar ^G2379, that is nothing ^G3762, but whoever ^G3739 G302 swears ^G3660 by the [fn]offering ^G1435 on it, he is obligated ^G3784.’ 19 You blind ^G5185 men ^G5185, which ^G5101 is [fn]more ^G3173 important ^G3173, the [fn]offering ^G1435, or ^G2228 the altar ^G2379 that sanctifies ^G37 the [fn]offering ^G1435? 20 Therefore ^G3767, [fn]whoever ^G3588 swears ^G3660 by the altar ^G2379, swears ^G3660 both by [fn]the altar ^G2379 and by everything ^G3956 on it. 21 And [fn]whoever ^G3588 swears ^G3660 by the sanctuary ^G3485, swears ^G3660 both by the [fn]sanctuary ^G846 and by Him who dwells ^G2730 within ^G2730 it. 22 And [fn]whoever ^G3588 swears ^G3660 by heaven ^G3772, swears ^G3660 both by the throne ^G2362 of God ^G2316 and by Him who sits ^G2521 upon it.

23 “Woe ^G3759 to you, scribes ^G1122 and Pharisees ^G5330, hypocrites ^G5273! For you tithe ^G586 mint ^G2238 and dill ^G432 and [fn]cumin ^G2951, and have neglected ^G863 the weightier ^G926 provisions ^G926 of the Law ^G3551: justice ^G2920 and mercy ^G1656 and faithfulness ^G4102; but these ^G3778 are the things you should ^G1163 have done ^G4160 without ^G3361 neglecting ^G863 the others ^G2548. 24 You blind ^G5185 guides ^G3595, who strain ^G1368 out a gnat ^G2971 but ^G1161 swallow ^G2666 a camel ^G2574!

25 “Woe ^G3759 to you, scribes ^G1122 and Pharisees ^G5330, hypocrites ^G5273! For you clean ^G2511 the outside ^G1855 of the cup ^G4221 and of the dish ^G3953, but inside ^G2081 they are full ^G1073 [fn]of robbery ^G724 and self-indulgence ^G192. 26 You blind ^G5185 Pharisee ^G5330, first ^G4413 clean ^G2511 the inside ^G1787 of the cup ^G4221 and of the dish ^G3953, so ^G2443 that the outside ^G1622 of it may become ^G1096 clean ^G2513 also ^G2532.

27 “Woe ^G3759 to you, scribes ^G1122 and Pharisees ^G5330, hypocrites ^G5273! For you are like ^G3945 whitewashed ^G2867 tombs ^G5028 which ^G3748 on the outside ^G1855 appear ^G5316 beautiful ^G5611, but inside ^G2081 they are full ^G1073 of dead ^G3498 men’s ^G3498 bones ^G3747 and all ^G3956 uncleanness ^G167. 28 In this way ^G3779, you ^G4771 also ^G2532 outwardly ^G1855 appear ^G5316 righteous ^G1342 to men ^G444, but inwardly ^G2081 you are full ^G3324 of hypocrisy ^G5272 and lawlessness ^G458.

29 “Woe ^G3759 to you, scribes ^G1122 and Pharisees ^G5330, hypocrites ^G5273! For you build ^G3618 the tombs ^G5028 of the prophets ^G4396 and adorn ^G2885 the monuments ^G3419 of the righteous ^G1342, 30 and say ^G3004, ‘If ^G1487 we had been ^G1510 living in the days ^G2250 of our fathers ^G3962, we would not have been ^G1510 partners ^G2844 with them in shedding the blood ^G129 of the prophets ^G4396.’ 31 So ^G5620 you bear ^G3140 witness ^G3140 against yourselves ^G1438, that you are [fn]sons ^G5207 of those ^G3588 who murdered ^G5407 the prophets ^G4396. 32 Fill ^G4137 up, then ^G2532, the measure ^G3358 of the guilt of your fathers ^G3962. 33 You serpents ^G3789, you brood ^G1081 of vipers ^G2191, how ^G4459 [fn]will you escape ^G5343 the [fn]sentence ^G2920 of [fn]hell ^G1067?

34 “On account of this ^G1223 G3778, behold ^G2400, I am sending ^G649 you prophets ^G4396 and wise ^G4680 men ^G4680 and scribes ^G1122; some ^G1537 of them you will kill ^G615 and crucify ^G4717, and some ^G1537 of them you will flog ^G3146 in your synagogues ^G4864, and persecute ^G1377 from city ^G4172 to city ^G4172, 35 so ^G3704 that upon you may fall ^G2064 the guilt of all ^G3956 the righteous ^G1342 blood ^G129 shed ^G1632 on earth ^G1093, from the blood ^G129 of righteous ^G1342 Abel ^G6 to the blood ^G129 of Zechariah ^G2197, the son ^G5207 of Berechiah ^G914, whom ^G3739 you murdered ^G5407 between ^G3342 the sanctuary ^G3485 and the altar ^G2379. 36 Truly ^G281 I say ^G3004 to you, all ^G3956 these ^G3778 things ^G3778 will come ^G2240 upon this ^G3778 generation ^G1074.

Lament over Jerusalem

37 “Jerusalem ^G2419, Jerusalem ^G2419, who kills ^G615 the prophets ^G4396 and stones ^G3036 those ^G3588 who are sent ^G649 to her! How ^G4212 often ^G4212 I wanted ^G2309 to gather ^G1996 your children ^G5043 together ^G1996, the way ^G5158 a hen ^G3733 gathers ^G1996 her chicks ^G3556 under ^G5259 her wings ^G4420, and you did not want ^G3756 G2309 it.

38 Behold ^G2400, your house ^G3624 is being left ^G863 to you desolate ^G2048! 39 For I say ^G3004 to you, from now ^G737 on you will not see ^G3708 Me until ^G2193 you say ^G3004, ‘BLESSED ^G2127 IS HE WHO COMES ^G2064 IN THE NAME ^G3686 OF THE [fn]LORD ^G2962!’”