Matthew 23; Luke 20; Luke 21

Matthew 23

1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,

2 Saying: The scribes and the Pharisees have sitten on the chair of Moses.

3 All things therefore whatsoever they shall say to you, observe and do: but according to their works do ye not. For they say, and do not.

4 For they bind heavy and insupportable burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders: but with a finger of their own they will not move them

5 And all their works they do for to be seen of men. For they make their phylacteries broad and enlarge their fringes.

6 And they love the first places at feasts and the first chairs in the synagogues,

7 And salutations in the market place, and to be called by men, Rabbi.

8 But be not you called Rabbi. For one is your master: and all you are brethren.

9 And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven.

10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, Christ.

11 He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant.

12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled: and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for you yourselves do not enter in and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter.

14 Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. For this you shall receive the greater judgment

15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte. And when he is made, you make him the child of hell twofold more than yourselves.

16 Woe to you, blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but he that shall swear by the gold of the temple is a debtor.

17 Ye foolish and blind: for whether is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

18 And whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it is a debtor.

19 Ye foolish and blind: for whether is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifieth the gift

20 He therefore that sweareth by the altar sweareth by it and by all things that are upon it.

21 And whosoever shall swear by the temple sweareth by it and by him that dwelleth in it

22 And he that sweareth by heaven sweareth by the throne of God and by him that sitteth thereon.

23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you tithe mint and anise and cummin and have left the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and faith. These things you ought to have done and not to leave those undone.

24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.

25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but within you are full of rapine and uncleanness.

26 Thou blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside may become clean.

27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you are like to whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful but within are full of dead men’s bones and of all filthiness.

28 So you also outwardly indeed appear to men just: but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, that build the sepulchres of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the just,

30 And say: If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

31 Wherefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of them that killed the prophets.

32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

33 You serpents, generation of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of hell?

34 Therefore behold I send to you prophets and wise men and scribes: and some of them you will put to death and crucify: and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city.

35 That upon you may come all the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.

36 Amen I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation

37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldst not?

38 Behold, your house shall be left to you, desolate

39 For I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth till you say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Luke 20

1 And it came to pass that on one of the days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes, with the ancients, met together,

2 And spoke to him, saying: Tell us, by what authority dost thou these things? Or, who is he that hath given thee this authority?

3 And Jesus answering, said to them: I will also ask you one thing. Answer me:

4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?

5 But they thought within themselves, saying: If we shall say, From heaven: he will say: Why then did you not believe in him?

6 But if we say, of men: the whole people will stone us. For they are persuaded that John was a prophet.

7 And they answered that they knew not whence it was.

8 And Jesus said to them: Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

9 And he began to speak to the people this parable: A certain man planted a vineyard and let it out to husbandmen: and he was abroad for a long time.

10 And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard. Who, beating him, sent him away empty.

11 And again he sent another servant. But they beat him also and, treating him reproachfully, sent him away empty.

12 And again he sent the third: and they wounded him also and cast him out.

13 Then the lord of the vineyard said: What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be, when they see him, they will reverence him.

14 Whom, when the husbandmen saw, they thought within themselves, saying: This is the heir. Let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.

15 So casting him out of the vineyard, they killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do to them?

16 He will come and will destroy these husbandmen and will give the vineyard to others. Which they hearing, said to him: God forbid.

17 But he looking on them, said: What is this then that is written, The stone, which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?

18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be bruised: and upon whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

19 And the chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him the same hour: but they feared the people, for they knew that he spoke this parable to them.

20 And being upon the watch, they sent spies, who should feign themselves just, that they might take hold of him in his words, that they might deliver him up to the authority and power of the governor.

21 And they asked him, saying: Master, we know that thou speakest and teachest rightly: and thou dost not respect any person, but teachest the way of God in truth.

22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or no?

23 But he, considering their guile, said to them: Why tempt you me?

24 Shew me a penny. Whose image and inscription hath it? They answering, said to him: Caesar’s.

25 And he said to them: Render therefore to Caesar the things, that are Caesar’s: and to God the things that are God’s.

26 And they could not reprehend his word before the people: and wondering at his answer, they held their peace.

27 And there came to him some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is any resurrection: and they asked him,

28 Saying: Master, Moses wrote unto us: If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he leave no children, that his brother should take her to wife and raise up seed unto his brother.

29 There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife and died without children.

30 And the next took her to wife: and he also died childless.

31 And the third took her. And in like manner, all the seven: and they left no children and died.

32 Last of all the woman died also.

33 In the resurrection therefore, whose wife of them shall she be? For all the seven had her to wife.

34 And Jesus said to them: The children of this world marry and are given in marriage:

35 But they that shall be accounted worthy of that world and of the resurrection from the dead shall neither be married nor take wives.

36 Neither can they die any more for they are equal to the angels and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

37 Now that the dead rise again, Moses also shewed at the bush, when he called the Lord: The God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.

38 For he is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live to him.

39 And some of the scribes answering, said to him: Master, thou hast said well.

40 And after that they durst not ask him any more questions.

41 But he said to them: How say they that Christ is the son of David?

42 And David himself saith in the book of Psalms: The Lord said to my Lord, sit thou on my right hand,

43 Till I make thy enemies thy footstool.

44 David then calleth him Lord. And how is he his son?

45 And in the hearing of all the people, he said to his disciples:

46 Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes and love salutations in the market place and the first chairs in the synagogues and the chief rooms at feasts:

47 Who devour the houses of widows, feigning long prayer. These shall receive greater damnation.

Luke 21

1 And looking on, he saw the rich men cast their gifts into the treasury.

2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in two brass mites.

3 And he said: Verily, I say to you that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all.

4 For all these have of their abundance cast into the offerings of God: but she of her want hath cast in all the living that she had.

5 And some saying of the temple that it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said:

6 These things which you see, the days will come in which there shall not be left a stone upon a stone that shall not be thrown down.

7 And they asked him, saying: Master, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign when they shall begin to come to pass?

8 Who said: Take heed you be not seduced: for many will come in my name, saying: I am he and the time is at hand. Go ye not therefore after them.

9 And when you shall hear of wars and seditions, be not terrified. These things must first come to pass: but the end is not yet presently.

10 Then he said to them: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

11 And there shall be great earthquakes in divers places and pestilences and famines and terrors from heaven: and there shall be great signs.

12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, dragging you before kings and governors, for my name’s sake.

13 And it shall happen unto you for a testimony.

14 Lay it up therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before how you shall answer:

15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay.

16 And you shall be betrayed by your parents and brethren and kinsmen and friends: and some of you they will put to death.

17 And you shall be hated by all men for my name’s sake.

18 But a hair of your head shall not perish.

19 In your patience you shall possess your souls.

20 And when you shall see Jerusalem compassed about with an army, then know that the desolation thereof is at hand.

21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains: and those who are in the midst thereof depart out: and those who are in the countries not enter into it.

22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things may be fulfilled, that are written.

23 But woe to them that are with child and give suck in those days: for there shall be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.

24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captives into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles till the times of the nations be fulfilled.

25 And there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, by reason of the confusion of the roaring of the sea, and of the waves:

26 Men withering away for fear and expectation of what shall come upon the whole world. For the powers of heaven shall be moved.

27 And then they shall see the Son of man coming in a cloud, with great power and majesty.

28 But when these things begin to come to pass, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is at hand.

29 And he spoke to them a similitude. See the fig tree and all the trees:

30 When they now shoot forth their fruit, you know that summer is nigh;

31 So you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is at hand.

32 Amen, I say to you, this generation shall not pass away till all things be fulfilled.

33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

34 And take heed to yourselves, lest perhaps your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and the cares of this life: and that day come upon you suddenly.

35 For as a snare shall it come upon all that sit upon the face of the whole earth.

36 Watch ye, therefore, praying at all times, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that are to come and to stand before the Son of man.

37 And in the daytime, he was teaching in the temple: but at night going out, he abode in the mount that is called Olivet.

38 And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, to hear him.