the Fourth Week of Advent
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Etheridge Translation
Matthew 23
1 Then Jeshu discoursed with the multitudes and with his disciples,2 and said to them, Upon the chair of Musha sit the scribes and the Pharishee.3 Every thing, therefore, which they tell you to observe, observe and do; but after their practices do not act; for they say, and do not.4 And they bind heavy burdens, and lay them on the shoulders of men, but they [fn] with their fingers are not willing to touch them. 5 And all their works they do that they may be seen of men; for they widen their tephillin [fn] and lengthen the fringes of their waving vestments [fn] 6 and love the chief reclining-places at evening feasts, and the highest seats in synagogues,7 and the shaloma in public places, and to be called of men Râbi [fn] 8 But be you not called Râbi: for One is your Master; but all ye are brethren.9 And call no man Ab [fn] to you upon earth: for One is your Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called Medabronee : [fn] for One is your Guide,-the Meshicha. 11 But he who is great among you, let him be your servitor.12 For whosoever will exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever will abase himself shall be exalted.
13 (23:14) Woe to you, scribes and Pharishee, hypocrites ! because you hold the kingdom of heaven closed before the children of men; for you will not enter in yourselves, and them who are entering you will not permit to enter.14 (23:13) WOE to you, scribes and Pharishee, hypocrites ! because you devour the houses of widows, with the pretext of prolonging your prayers; on account of which you shall receive the greater judgment.15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharishee, hypocrites ! because you go over sea and dry (land) to make one proselyte; and when you have done it, you make him doubly more a son of gihana than yourselves.16 Woe to you, ye blind guides, who say, That [fn] who sweareth by the temple, it is nothing; but if he swear by the gold which is in the temple, he is liable ! 17 You senseless and blind ! for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?18 And (that) whoever sweareth by the altar, it is nothing; but [fn] he swear by the oblation which is upon it, he is liable. 19 You foolish and sightless ! for which is greater, the oblation, or the altar that sanctifieth the oblation ?20 He therefore who sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things that are upon it.21 And he who sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by whatever abideth in it.22 And whosoever sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of Aloha, and by Him who sitteth thereon.23 Woe to you, scribes, Pharishee, hypocrites ! because you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and omit the more grave [fn] of the law,-justice, benignity, and faithfulness. For these you should have done, and those not omitted. 24 You blind guides, who strain out gnats and swallow camels.25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharishee, hypocrites ! who cleanse the outside of the cup and dish (which) within are full of rapine and injustice.26 Sightless Pharishee ! cleanse first the inside of the cup and the dish, that their outside also may be clean.27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharishee, hypocrites ! for you are like whited sepulchres, which without appear beautiful, but within are full of the bones of the dead and all impurity.28 So you also from without appear to the sons of men as righteous, but within you are full of unrighteousness and hypocrisy.29 WOE to you, scribes and Pharishee, hypocrites ! because you rebuild the tombs of the prophets and beautify the sepulchres of the just; and say,30 If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been with them partakers in the blood of the prophets:31 thus bearing witness against yourselves, that you are the sons of them who killed the prophets.32 And you also,-complete the measure of your fathers.33 Serpents, birth of vipers ! how will you escape from the judgment of gihana ?
34 On this account, behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; (some) of these you shall kill and crucify; and (some) of these you shall scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city.35 So that there shall come upon you all the blood of the just which hath been shed upon the earth; from the blood of Habil the righteous, unto the blood of Zakaria-bar-Barakia, whom you slew between the temple and the altar.36 Amen I say unto you, that all these shall come upon this generation.37 Urishlem, Urishlem ! who killest the prophets, and stonest them who are sent unto her, what times would I have gathered thy children, as gathereth the hen her young ones beneath her wings, and you would not !38 Lo, your house is left unto you desolate.39 For I say unto you, That you shall not see me from henceforth, until you shall say, Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord.