Parallel Bible results for "matthew 23"

Matthew 23

Common English Bible CEB

1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and his disciples,

2 “The legal experts and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat.

3 Therefore, you must take care to do everything they say. But don't do what they do.

4 For they tie together heavy packs that are impossible to carry. They put them on the shoulders of others, but are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.

5 Everything they do, they do to be noticed by others. They make extra-wide prayer bands for their arms and long tassels for their clothes.

6 They love to sit in places of honor at banquets.

7 They love to be greeted with honor in the markets and to be addressed as ‘Rabbi.'

8 “But you shouldn't be called Rabbi, because you have one teacher, and all of you are brothers and sisters.

9 Don't call anybody on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is heavenly.

10 Don't be called teacher, because Christ is your one teacher.

11 But the one who is greatest among you will be your servant.

12 All who lift themselves up will be brought low. But all who make themselves low will be lifted up.

13 “How terrible it will be for you legal experts and Pharisees! Hypocrites! You shut people out of the kingdom of heaven. You don't enter yourselves, and you won't allow those who want to enter to do so.

15 “How terrible it will be for you, legal experts and Pharisees! Hypocrites! You travel over sea and land to make one convert. But when they've been converted, they become twice the child of hell you are.

16 “How terrible it will be for you blind guides who say, ‘If people swear by the temple, it's nothing. But if people swear by the gold in the temple, they are obligated to do what they swore.'

17 You foolish and blind people! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold holy?

18 You say, ‘If people swear by the altar, it's nothing. But if they swear by the gift on the altar, they are obligated to do what they swore.'

19 You blind people! Which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy?

20 Therefore, those who swear by the altar swear by it and by everything that's on it.

21 Those who swear by the temple swear by it and by everything that's part of it.

22 Those who swear by heaven swear by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.

23 “How terrible it will be for you legal experts and Pharisees! Hypocrites! You give to God a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, but you forget about the more important matters of the Law: justice, peace, and faith. You ought to give a tenth but without forgetting about those more important matters.

24 You blind guides! You filter out an ant but swallow a camel.

25 “How terrible it will be for you legal experts and Pharisees! Hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and plate, but inside they are full of violence and pleasure seeking.

26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup so that the outside of the cup will be clean too.

27 “How terrible it will be for you legal experts and Pharisees! Hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs. They look beautiful on the outside. But inside they are full of dead bones and all kinds of filth.

28 In the same way you look righteous to people. But inside you are full of pretense and rebellion.

29 “How terrible it will be for you legal experts and Pharisees! Hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.

30 You say, ‘If we had lived in our ancestors' days, we wouldn't have joined them in killing the prophets.'

31 You testify against yourselves that you are children of those who murdered the prophets.

32 Go ahead, complete what your ancestors did.

33 You snakes! You children of snakes! How will you be able to escape the judgment of hell?

34 Therefore, look, I'm sending you prophets, wise people, and legal experts. Some of them you will kill and crucify. And some you will beat in your synagogues and chase from city to city.

35 Therefore, upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been poured out on the earth, from the blood of that righteous man Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.

36 I assure you that all these things will come upon this generation.

37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You who kill the prophets and stone those who were sent to you. How often I wanted to gather your people together, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you didn't want that.

38 Look, your house is left to you deserted.

39 I tell you, you won't see me until you say, Blessings on the one who comes in the Lord's name."

GOD'S WORD Translation GW

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

2 "The scribes and the Pharisees teach with Moses' authority.

3 So be careful to do everything they tell you. But don't follow their example, because they don't practice what they preach.

4 They make loads that are hard to carry and lay them on the shoulders of the people. However, they are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

5 "They do everything to attract people's attention. They make their headbands large and the tassels on their shawls long.

6 They love the place of honor at dinners and the front seats in synagogues.

7 They love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have people call them Rabbi.

8 But don't make others call you Rabbi, because you have only one teacher, and you are all followers.

9 And don't call anyone on earth your father, because you have only one Father, and he is in heaven.

10 Don't make others call you a leader, because you have only one leader, the Messiah.

11 The person who is greatest among you will be your servant.

12 Whoever honors himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be honored.

13 "How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. You don't enter it yourselves, and you don't permit others to enter when they try.

15 "How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You cross land and sea to recruit a single follower, and when you do, you make that person twice as fit for hell as you are.

16 "How horrible it will be for you, you blind guides! You say, 'To swear an oath by the temple doesn't mean a thing. But to swear an oath by the gold in the temple means a person must keep his oath.'

17 You blind fools! What is more important, the gold or the temple that made the gold holy?

18 Again you say, 'To swear an oath by the altar doesn't mean a thing. But to swear an oath by the gift on the altar means a person must keep his oath.'

19 You blind men! What is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy?

20 To swear an oath by the altar is to swear by it and by everything on it.

21 To swear an oath by the temple is to swear by it and by the one who lives there.

22 And to swear an oath by heaven is to swear by God's throne and the one who sits on it.

23 "How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You give [God] one-tenth of your mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the most important things in Moses' Teachings. You should have done these things without neglecting the others.

24 You blind guides! You strain gnats [out of your wine], but you swallow camels.

25 "How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You clean the outside of cups and dishes. But inside they are full of greed and uncontrolled desires.

26 You blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cups and dishes so that the outside may also be clean.

27 "How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You are like whitewashed graves that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead people's bones and every kind of impurity.

28 So on the outside you look as though you have God's approval, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 "How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of those who had God's approval.

30 Then you say, 'If we had lived at the time of our ancestors, we would not have helped to murder the prophets.'

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

32 Go ahead, finish what your ancestors started!

33 "You snakes! You poisonous snakes! How can you escape being condemned to hell?

34 I'm sending you prophets, wise men, and teachers of the Scriptures. You will kill and crucify some of them. Others you will whip in your synagogues and persecute from city to city.

35 As a result, you will be held accountable for all the innocent blood of those murdered on earth, from the murder of righteous Abel to that of Zechariah, son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

36 I can guarantee this truth: The people living now will be held accountable for all these things.

37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill the prophets and stone to death those sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings! But you were not willing!

38 Your house will be abandoned, deserted.

39 I can guarantee that you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'"