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Matthew 21:18-46; Matthew 22; Matthew 23:1-38

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Matthew 21:18-46

18 Early in the morning as He was on His way to return to the city He was hungry,
19 and seeing a fig-tree on the road-side He went up to it, but found nothing on it but leaves. "On you," He said, "no fruit shall ever again grow." And immediately the fig-tree withered away.
20 When the disciples saw it they exclaimed in astonishment, "How instantaneously the fig-tree has withered away!"
21 "I solemnly tell you," said Jesus, "that if you have an unwavering faith, you shall not only perform such a miracle as this of the fig-tree, but that even if you say to this mountain, `Be thou lifted up and hurled into the sea,' it shall be done;
22 and everything, whatever it be, that you ask for in your prayers, if you have faith, you shall obtain."
23 He entered the Temple; and while He was teaching, the High Priests and the Elders of the people came to Him and asked Him, "By what authority are you doing these things? and who gave you this authority?"
24 "And I also have a question to ask *you*," replied Jesus, "and if you answer me, I in turn will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25 John's Baptism, whence was it? --had it a heavenly or a human origin?" So they debated the matter among themselves. "If we say `a heavenly origin,'" they argued, "he will say, `Why then did you not believe him?'
26 and if we say `a human origin' we have the people to fear, for they all hold John to have been a Prophet."
27 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." "Nor do I tell you," He replied, "by what authority I do these things."
28 "But give me your judgement. There was a man who had two sons. He came to the elder of them, and said, "`My son, go and work in the vineyard to-day.'
29 "`I will not,' he replied. "But afterwards he was sorry, and went.
30 He came to the second and spoke in the same manner. His answer was, "`I will go, Sir.' "But he did not go.
31 Which of the two did as his father desired?" "The first," they said. "I solemnly tell you,' replied Jesus, "that the tax-gatherers and the notorious sinners are entering the Kingdom of God in front of you.
32 For John came to you observing all sorts of ritual, and you put no faith in him: the tax-gatherers and the notorious sinners did put faith in him, and you, though you saw this example set you, were not even afterwards sorry so as to believe him.
33 "Listen to another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, made a fence round it, dug a wine-tank in it, and built a strong lodge; then let the place to vine-dressers, and went abroad.
34 When vintage-time approached, he sent his servants to the vine-dressers to receive his share of the grapes;
35 but the vine-dressers seized the servants, and one they cruelly beat, one they killed, one they pelted with stones.
36 Again he sent another party of servants more numerous than the first; and these they treated in the same manner.
37 Later still he sent to them his son, saying, "`They will respect my son.'
38 "But the vine-dressers, when they saw the son, said to one another, "`Here is the heir: come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.'
39 "So they seized him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40 When then the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-dressers?"
41 "He will put the wretches to a wretched death," was the reply, "and will entrust the vineyard to other vine-dressers who will render the produce to him at the vintage season."
42 "Have you never read in the Scriptures," said Jesus, "`The Stone which the builders rejected has been made the Cornerstone: this Cornerstone came from the Lord, and is wonderful in our eyes'?
43 "That, I tell you, is the reason why the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and given to a nation that will exhibit the power of it.
44 He who falls on this stone will be severely hurt; but he on whom it falls will be utterly crushed."
45 After listening to His parables the High Priests and the Pharisees perceived that He was speaking about them;
46 but though they were eager to lay hands upon Him, they were afraid of the people, for by them He was regarded as a Prophet.
The Weymouth New Testament is in the public domain.

Matthew 22

1 Again Jesus spoke to them in figurative language.
2 "The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "may be compared to a king who celebrated the marriage of his son,
3 and sent his servants to call the invited guests to the wedding, but they were unwilling to come.
4 "Again he sent other servants with a message to those who were invited. "`My breakfast is now ready," he said, `my bullocks and fat cattle are killed, and every preparation is made: come to the wedding.'
5 "They however gave no heed, but went, one to his home in the country, another to his business;
6 and the rest seized the king's servants, maltreated them, and murdered them.
7 So the king's anger was stirred, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burnt their city.
8 Then he said to his servants, "`The wedding banquet is ready, but those who were invited were unworthy of it.
9 Go out therefore to the crossroads, and everybody you meet invite to the wedding.'
10 "So they went out into the roads and gathered together all they could find, both bad and good, and the banqueting hall was filled with guests.
11 "Now the king came in to see the guests; and among them he discovered one who was not wearing a wedding-robe.
12 "`My friend,' he said, `how is it that you came in here without a wedding robe?'
13 "The man stood speechless. Then the king said to the servants, "`Bind him hand and foot and fling him into the darkness outside: there will be the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth.'
14 "For there are many called, but few chosen."
15 Then the Pharisees went and consulted together how they might entrap Him in His conversation.
16 So they sent to Him their disciples together with the Herodians; who said, "Teacher, we know that you are truthful and that you faithfully teach God's truth; and that no fear of man misleads you, for you are not biased by men's wealth or rank.
17 Give us your judgement therefore: is it allowable for us to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?"
18 Perceiving their wickedness, Jesus replied, "Why are you hypocrites trying to ensnare me?
19 Show me the tribute coin." And they brought Him a shilling.
20 "Whose likeness and inscription," He asked, "is this?"
21 "Caesar's," they replied. "Pay therefore," He rejoined, "what is Caesar's to Caesar; and what is God's to God."
22 They heard this, and were astonished; then left Him, and went their way.
23 On the same day a party of Sadducees came to Him, contending that there is no resurrection. And they put this case to Him.
24 "Teacher," they said, "Moses enjoined, `If a man die childless, his brother shall marry his widow, and raise up a family for him.'
25 Now we had among us seven brothers. The eldest of them married, but died childless, leaving his wife to his brother.
26 So also did the second and the third, down to the seventh,
27 till the woman also died, after surviving them all.
28 At the Resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? for they all married her."
29 The reply of Jesus was, "You are in error, through ignorance of the Scriptures and of the power of God.
30 For in the Resurrection, men neither marry nor are women given in marriage, but they are like angels in Heaven.
31 But as to the Resurrection of the dead, have you never read what God says to you,
32 `I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of dead, but of living men."
33 All the crowd heard this, and were filled with amazement at His teaching.
34 Now the Pharisees came up when they heard that He had silenced the Sadducees,
35 and one of them, an expounder of the Law, asked Him as a test question,
36 "Teacher, which is the greatest Commandment in the Law?"
37 "`Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,'" He answered, "`with thy whole heart, thy whole soul, thy whole mind.'
38 This is the greatest and foremost Commandment.
39 And the second is similar to it: `Thou shalt love thy fellow man as much as thyself.'
40 The whole of the Law and the Prophets is summed up in these two Commandments."
41 While the Pharisees were still assembled there, Jesus put a question to them.
42 "What think you about the Christ," He said, "whose son is He?" "David's," they replied.
43 "How then," He asked, "does David, taught by the Spirit, call Him Lord, when he says,
44 "`The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand until I have put thy foes beneath thy feet'?
45 "If therefore David calls Him Lord, how can He be his son?"
46 No one could say a word in reply, nor from that day did any one venture again to put a question to Him.
The Weymouth New Testament is in the public domain.

Matthew 23:1-38

1 Then Jesus addressed the crowds and His disciples.
2 "The Scribes," He said, "and the Pharisees sit in the chair of Moses.
3 Therefore do and observe everything that they command you; but do not imitate their lives, for though they tell others what to do, they do not do it themselves.
4 Heavy and cumbrous burdens they bind together and load men's shoulders with them, while as for themselves, not with one finger do they choose to lift them
5 And everything they do they do with a view to being observed by men; for they widen their phylacteries and make the tassels large,
6 and love the best seats at a dinner party or in the synagogues,
7 and like to be bowed to in places of public resort, and to be addressed by men as `Rabbi.'
8 "As for you, do not accept the title of `Rabbi,' for one alone is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
9 And call no one on earth your Father, for One alone is your Father--the Heavenly Father.
10 And do not accept the name of `leader,' for your Leader is one alone--the Christ.
11 He who is the greatest among you shall be your servant;
12 and one who exalts himself shall be abased, while one who abases himself shall be exalted.
13 "But alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you lock the door of the Kingdom of the Heavens against men; you yourselves do not enter, nor do you allow those to enter who are seeking to do so.
14 [
15 "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you scour sea and land in order to win one convert--and when he is gained, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna as yourselves.
16 "Alas for you, you blind guides, who say, "`Whoever swears by the Sanctuary it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the Sanctuary, is bound by the oath.'
17 "Blind fools! Why, which is greater? --the gold, or the Sanctuary which has made the gold holy?
18 And you say, "`Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the offering lying on it is bound by the oath.'
19 "You are blind! Why, which is greater? --the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy
20 He who swears by the altar swears both by it and by everything on it;
21 he who swears by the Sanctuary swears both by it and by Him who dwells in it
22 and he who swears by Heaven swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
23 "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay the tithe on mint, dill, and cumin, while you have neglected the weightier requirements of the Law--just judgement, mercy, and faithful dealing. These things you ought to have done, and yet you ought not to have left the others undone.
24 You blind guides, straining out the gnat while you gulp down the camel!
25 "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you wash clean the outside of the cup or dish, while within they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
26 Blind Pharisee, first wash clean the inside of the cup or dish, and then the outside will be clean also.
27 "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are just like whitewashed sepulchres, the outside of which pleases the eye, though inside they are full of dead men's bones and of all that is unclean.
28 The same is true of you: outwardly you seem to the human eye to be good and honest men, but, within, you are full of insincerity and disregard of God's Law.
29 "Alas for you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you repair the sepulchres of the Prophets and keep in order the tombs of the righteous,
30 and your boast is, "`If we had lived in the time of our forefathers, we should not have been implicated with them in the murder of the Prophets.'
31 "So that you bear witness against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the Prophets.
32 Fill up the measure of your forefathers' guilt.
33 O serpents, O vipers' brood, how are you to escape condemnation to Gehenna?
34 "For this reason I am sending to you Prophets and wise men and Scribes. Some of them you will put to death--nay, crucify; some of them you will flog in your synagogues and chase from town to town;
35 that all the innocent blood shed upon earth may come on you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Berechiah whom you murdered between the Sanctuary and the altar.
36 I tell you in solemn truth that all these things will come upon the present generation
37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! thou who murderest the Prophets and stonest those who have been sent to thee! how often have I desired to gather thy children to me, just as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not come!
38 See, your house will now be left to you desolate
The Weymouth New Testament is in the public domain.