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Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 23

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Matthew 23 NASB - New American Standard BibleMatthew 23 NASB - New American Standard Bible

Chapter 23 of Matthew—New American Standard Bible (NASB)

  1. 1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples,
  2. saying: “2The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;
  3. therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.
  4. 3They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.
  5. But they do all their deeds 4to be noticed by men; for they 5broaden their [a]phylacteries and lengthen 6the tassels of their garments.
  6. They 7love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues,
  7. and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called 8Rabbi by men.
  8. But 9do not be called 10Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.
  9. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for 11One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
  10. Do not be called [b]leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.
  11. 12But the greatest among you shall be your servant.
  12. 13Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
  13. ¶ “14But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, 15because you shut off the kingdom of heaven [c]from [d]people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
  14. [[e]Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because 16you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.]
  15. ¶ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one [f]17proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of [g]18hell as yourselves.
  16. ¶ “Woe to you, 19blind guides, who say, ‘20Whoever swears by the [h]temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the [i]temple is obligated.’
  17. You fools and blind men! 21Which is [j]more important, the gold or the [k]temple that sanctified the gold?
  18. And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing, but whoever swears by the [l]offering on it, he is obligated.’
  19. You blind men, 22which is [m]more important, the [n]offering, or the altar that sanctifies the [o]offering?
  20. Therefore, [p]whoever swears by the altar, swears both by [q]the altar and by everything on it.
  21. And [r]whoever swears by the [s]temple, swears both by [t]the temple and by Him who 23dwells within it.
  22. And [u]whoever swears by heaven, 24swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
  23. ¶ “25Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and [v]cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.
  24. You 26blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
  25. ¶ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For 27you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full [w]of robbery and self-indulgence.
  26. You blind Pharisee, first 28clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.
  27. ¶ “29Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
  28. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
  29. ¶ “30Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
  30. and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
  31. So you testify against yourselves, that you 31are [x]sons of those who murdered the prophets.
  32. Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers.
  33. You serpents, 32you brood of vipers, how [y]will you escape the [z]sentence of [aa]33hell?
  34. ¶ “34Therefore, behold, 35I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will 36scourge in your synagogues, and 37persecute from city to city,
  35. so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous 38Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the 39son of Berechiah, whom 40you murdered between the [ab]temple and the altar.
  36. Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon 41this generation.
  37. ¶ “42Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who 43kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, 44the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
  38. Behold, 45your house is being left to you desolate!
  39. For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘46BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’”

FOOTNOTES

  1. ^ I.e. small cases containing Scripture texts worn on the left arm and forehead for religious purposes
  2. ^ Or teachers
  3. ^ Lit in front of
  4. ^ Gr anthropoi
  5. ^ This v not found in early mss
  6. ^ Or convert
  7. ^ Gr Gehenna
  8. ^ Or sanctuary
  9. ^ Or sanctuary
  10. ^ Lit greater
  11. ^ Or sanctuary
  12. ^ Or gift
  13. ^ Lit greater
  14. ^ Or gift
  15. ^ Or gift
  16. ^ Lit he who
  17. ^ Lit it
  18. ^ Lit he who
  19. ^ Or sanctuary
  20. ^ Lit it
  21. ^ Lit he who
  22. ^ Similar to caraway seeds
  23. ^ Or as a result of
  24. ^ Or descendants
  25. ^ Lit would
  26. ^ Or judgment
  27. ^ Gr Gehenna
  28. ^ Or sanctuary

REFERENCES

  1. ^ Mt 23:1-7; Mr 12:38, 39; Lu 20:45, 46
  2. ^ De 33:3f; Ezr 7:6, 25; Ne 8:4
  3. ^ Lu 11:46; Ac 15:10
  4. ^ Mt 6:1, 5, 16
  5. ^ Ex 13:9; De 6:8; 11:18
  6. ^ Mt 9:20
  7. ^ Lu 11:43; 14:7; 20:46
  8. ^ Mt 23:8; 26:25, 49; Mr 9:5; 10:51; 11:21; Jn 1:38, 49; 3:2, 26; 4:31; 6:25; 9:2; 11:8; 20:16
  9. ^ Jm 3:1
  10. ^ Mt 23:7; 26:25, 49; Mr 9:5; 10:51; 11:21; 14:45; Jn 1:38, 49; 3:2, 26; 4:31; 6:25; 9:2; 11:8; 20:16
  11. ^ Mt 6:9; 7:11
  12. ^ Mt 20:26
  13. ^ Lu 14:11; 18:14
  14. ^ Mt 23:15, 16, 23, 25, 27, 29
  15. ^ Lu 11:52
  16. ^ Mr 12:40; Lu 20:47
  17. ^ Ac 2:10; 6:5; 13:43
  18. ^ Mt 5:22
  19. ^ Mt 15:14; 23:24
  20. ^ Mt 5:33-35
  21. ^ Ex 30:29
  22. ^ Ex 29:37
  23. ^ 1Ki 8:13; Ps 26:8; 132:14
  24. ^ Is 66:1; Mt 5:34
  25. ^ Mt 23:13; Lu 11:42
  26. ^ Mt 23:16
  27. ^ Mr 7:4; Lu 11:39f
  28. ^ Mr 7:4; Lu 11:39f
  29. ^ Lu 11:44; Ac 23:3
  30. ^ Lu 11:47f
  31. ^ Mt 23:34, 37; Ac 7:51f
  32. ^ Mt 3:7; Lu 3:7
  33. ^ Mt 5:22
  34. ^ Mt 23:34-36; Lu 11:49-51
  35. ^ 2Ch 36:15, 16
  36. ^ Mt 10:17
  37. ^ Mt 10:23
  38. ^ Ge 4:8ff; Heb 11:4
  39. ^ Zc 1:1
  40. ^ 2Ch 24:21
  41. ^ Mt 10:23; 24:34
  42. ^ Mt 23:37-39; Lu 13:34, 35
  43. ^ Mt 5:12
  44. ^ Ru 2:12
  45. ^ 1Ki 9:7f; Je 22:5
  46. ^ Ps 118:26; Mt 21:9

Read Matthew Chapter 23 in other Bible versions:

Comments

  1. Kiamia DoelKiamia Doel
    Jan 9, 2025 23:00 GMT

    The NWT adds words to the text that are not in the greek Manuscripts to fit it's own doctrinal position for example

    Compare the wording of the NWT and the NKJV at Colossians 1:15-17

    NKJV says

    15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

    NWT says

    15 He is the image of the invisible God,the firstborn OF all creation;16 because by means of him all OTHER things were created in the heavens and on the earth, the things visible and the things invisible,whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All OTHER things have been created through him and for him. 17 Also, he is before all OTHER things,and by means of him all OTHER things were made to exist,

    The word “other” is not in the Greek but they add it Why? So they can decieve their followers into thinking that Christ was created by the Father and that he then created other things, that is not what the Greek says.

    1. SmeSme
      Feb 27, 2025 11:17 GMT

      Truth is from God and those that follow him. As for lies? John8:44

      Kiamia, I noticed you used a modern version of kjv to make your point about the nwt.

      Why didn’t you use the original kjv of col1:15?

      Is it because it disproves your point? It proves the opposite of what you wrote?

      Here is kjv col1:15 ¶” Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn OF every creature:“

      Now I appeal to your Christian nature to correct your mistake as God is watching each of us, and let us bless the God of Jesus his father.

      Kjv 1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ….

  2. YanekYanek
    Dec 24, 2024 22:18 GMT

    Joshua, Jehovah’s Witnesses have never denied the deity of the Messiah in his prehuman existence. While on Earth he was fully 100% human. I do not mean he was a mere human, he was not affected by Adam’s unfaithful behavior, he was sinless.

  3. David yakubuDavid yakubu
    Oct 29, 2022 08:05 GMT

    When i do read some comments and seeing that its the same people that are supposed to be called believers but are talking ill of other denominations, it hurts. Let us all remember that We should judge not

    1. jonas smithjonas smith
      Apr 23, 2023 02:57 GMT

      The bible tells us to test the spirits. Satan disguises himself as angel of light. So yes some denomination are not teaching the truth. You are responsible for judging which ones are not. You have to judge the truth at all times. this is what the bible teaches

  4. THTH
    Apr 7, 2021 00:20 GMT

    The NWT is a very good translation. Dr. Jason David BeDuhn PhD attests to that in his book Truth in Translation. drive.google.com/...5p16melHzg8/view

    1. James LernerJames Lerner
      Jul 20, 2024 09:48 GMT

      The NWT is Satanic filth to its very core.

      The JW Cult is Satanic to its very core.

      Praise Yahweh I will never be a victim of JW brainwashing. If I burn in Hell for eternity or I am ultimately annihilated so be it

      May Yahweh's curse rest on the Watchtower Society and its Satanic leadership

    2. jim mcleodjim mcleod
      Aug 22, 2021 06:16 GMT

      NWT is a false translation that takes away from the deity of Jesus !

  5. SlightlyChaoticSlightlyChaotic
    Jan 30, 2021 16:33 GMT

    Thank you for taking the time to provide this service. I like seeing the NASB on your web page in the same format as I read on paper. On other sites, the text area is smaller, and so I have to keep scrolling down to read and sometimes I lose the context. So I really appreciate the format.

    As far as the NWT, you are certainly free to do whatever you think best with your own web pages. I'd suggest that you make a note anytime you have a translation that is associated with only one denomination or church, for example:
    New World Translation (Jehovah's Witness version).

    In Jesus' parable of the wheat and the tares. the main idea seems to be that you can't easily distinguish between God's people and not-God's people on this earth, so our Lord's response is to wait until they are shown to be the kind of people they are inside. But the NWT seems like false teaching to me. So I think the warning passages from Jesus' apostles are more applicable, as in 2 Peter 3:15-16, when he talks about Paul's writings:
    "There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures."
    And we also have the positive exhortations, as in 2 Timothy 2:15:
    "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth."

    1. BroderickBroderick
      Jan 31, 2021 00:57 GMT

      Your suggestion regarding the denominational flagging is duly noted. But I can’t help but wonder, wouldn’t a Catholic also want “Protestant versions” marked as well?

      As for the parable, I’m pretty sure the slaves were convinced in their own minds that they could tell the tares from the wheat. After all, aren’t they the ones who identified the problem in the first place? But the master obviously thought otherwise.

      Furthermore, even at the time when Jesus himself was walking the earth, not everybody who claimed fellowship actually followed him causing John to inquire at Mark 9:39, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him . . . for he who is not against us is for us.”

  6. Joshua HarderJoshua Harder
    Dec 11, 2020 17:48 GMT

    Hello, question.. why have you included the NWT with other legitimate bible translations? Or why have you not atleast included a warning to readers? Don't you fear that someone could be influenced by the Watchtower's intentional heresies? Thank you.

    1. KevinKevin
      Jul 11, 2021 17:45 GMT

      en.m.wikipedia.org/..._Holy_Scriptures

      See the section critical review

    2. ChrisChris
      Jan 8, 2021 07:15 GMT

      Please site these intentional heresies. I am well versed in the watch tower outline and agree they are in many ways incorrect but i also bet i can point many out from EVERY established or main denomination. There is much to learn from them all as one who drinks milk?

      Judge not lest ye be judged, that is not to pass judgement on you either brother.

      I debate with scripture. I don't hold it to be true that Michael is Y'Shua HaMeshiach but I also firmly hold it to be true that our G-d and Heavenly Father are not the word encarnate and only begotten son.

      I love not seeing "lord" which i relate to baal. I feel the catholic church is a satanic establishment and I am aware a freemason started the hovies but there are evil in high places and our fight is also with principalities.

      What i'm saying is that in my darkest hours, those two were some of if not the only ones who would bring a Bible and eucharist and pray with me.

      We all fall short of the glory of G-d.

      Don't forget the NWT was recognized as the most accurate translation on Jeopardy.

      Lastly, this is different I noted than the NWT i have read and am very familiar with. Pull up the watchtower page and compare. I truly look forward to getting this one!

  7. julietjuliet
    Aug 17, 2022 09:36 GMT

    the sky is blue

  8. mercymercy
    Aug 12, 2022 21:23 GMT

    i am Mercy, the sky is blue what else do you need

    1. mercymercy
      Aug 12, 2022 21:25 GMT

      i am so sorry, it was a big mistake

  9. God is able to do all thingsGod is able to do all things
    May 17, 2021 17:59 GMT

    Jesus how much love calling yo name

  10. EmpiralEmpiral
    Jul 4, 2025 19:06 GMT

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