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Jesus told the Pharisees, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. Yet you yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert and when you succeed, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing, but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and the one who dwells in it. And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices, but you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the later without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel! Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will also be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but, on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead then and complete what your ancestors started! You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore, I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation. Jerusalem, you who kill prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” What the story means to us today Religious hypocrisy brings woes upon the Pharisees The seven woes are pronounced because of the following sins: - Failure to recognize Jesus as the Messiah and thus closing the door on those trying to enter the kingdom of heaven. - Being superficially zealous and causing great harm as a result. - Twisting the meaning of scripture. - Being hypocrites by enforcing the Law in the wrong manner (i.e. ignoring mercy and faithfulness). - Being hypocrites by purposefully misunderstanding the scriptures due to greedy objectives. - Hurting God’s message by being hypocrites. - Being hypocrites and blaming others. Most of the woes Jesus proclaimed on the Pharisees relate to hypocrisy, a trait that applies equally as well to many Christians today. There is a reason why Jesus harps so strongly on hypocrisy. The gravest danger to the Christian Church comes from the inside in the form of hypocrisy. Additional thoughts and considerations The significance of woes Many translations note this section as “seven woes on the Teachers of the Law” which sounds like a mystical curse. Although any condemnation from someone as powerful as Jesus should not be taken lightly, a woe is not truly a curse, especially not in a mystical manner. A woe is a means of condemning someone and their actions. It is a granular, specific condemnation akin to “shame on you for doing this” that was probably common in Jesus’ day. Comparing the woes in Matthew to Luke Luke 11:37 mentions six woes pronounced on the Pharisees. There is overlap between Luke’s woes and Matthews’. It is unclear why. Possibly Jesus mentioned woes on the Pharisees fairly frequently, which could be expected given the mission God assigned him to complete. The first woe – failure to recognize Jesus as the Messiah Jesus tells the Pharisees they have “shut the door on the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces”. As religious leaders, they have an obligation to God. By failing to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, the Pharisees are causing great harm to others who look to them for guidance. The second woe – harming others by being superficially zealous Jesus says the Pharisees “travel over land and sea to win a single convert”. As seen through the ancient writings of Philo and Josephus, history shows first century Judaism proselytism was indeed rampant in the region. And with each proselyte won over, another soul was taught a twisted version of the Old Testament scriptures, a version that disallowed any possibility of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. The third woe – twisting the meaning of scripture to suit one’s purpose The Pharisees official law said, “If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing, but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.” The Pharisees tradition was to avoid swearing by God’s name, or on anything closely related to God, so they developed rules (laws) allowing swearing by other means. For instance, they avoided swearing by the temple but would swear by the gold that decorated the temple. They even created arbitrary rules that determined how binding their oath would be depending on which object the oath was sworn on. Jesus points out the folly of the Pharisees making up their own rules for oaths in order to avoid swearing by God’s name. Jesus tells the Pharisees, “Anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it.” The fourth woe – hypocritically enforcing religious tenets in the wrong manner Jesus tells the Pharisees, “You give a tenth of your spices but you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced both.” Tithing has been common since Old Testament times (Deuteronomy 14:22) and the Pharisees diligently maintained the practice. In fact, they developed detailed rules on what should be considered an appropriate payment for tithes. Since food was used as payment for tithes, there was a great argument about the value of spices – should they be tithed or not? Their concise rules regarding tithing, fixated on small details and neglected God’s more important directives (such as mercy) that are much harder to follow faithfully than simply giving a tenth of your income to God. This was precisely why Jesus was sent to Earth – to clarify and correct misconceptions surrounding the Old Testament teachings and laws. The fifth woe – hypocritically interpreting scripture for greedy purposes Jesus tells the Pharisees, “Woe to you. You clean the outside of the cup and dish but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence”. As whimsical as it seems, whether cleansing the inside and outside or just the inside was indeed a controversy for those who followed Old Testament teachings. Jesus latches onto this silly argument noting that the interpretation was a moot point. The Pharisees were full of greed inside and out! They must first cleanse themselves – then their ritual religious practices will take care of itself. The sixth woe – demeaning God’s message by being a hypocrite Jesus says to the Pharisees, ‘Woe to you. You are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of unclean bones of the dead.” Jesus uses the appearance and nature of whitewashed tombs to symbolize the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. To other men, the Pharisees seem virtuous, but inside they are full of wickedness. The seventh woe – hypocritically blaming others Jesus notes that the Pharisees built monuments to honor the prophets that came before them. The building of monuments however, did not elevate the Pharisees moral standing. More critically, the Pharisees said, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part in persecuting them.’ To claim they would have acted better than their forefathers is egotistical and hypocritic for they are acting just like them in their persecution of Jesus. The same could be said for many modern-day Christians who naively presume they would have acted differently towards Jesus and the disciples had they lived in Jesus’ day. These same Christians hypocritically turn around and persecute others, a complete repudiation of God’s most important commandment – love they neighbor. The prophets and sages that the Pharisees will soon kill Jesus notes that the Pharisees are doomed to hell and says that because of their refusal to listen and believe his message, “I am sending you prophets, sages, and teachers. Some of them you will crucify and kill, others you will flog and pursue from town to town.” As a result of their actions against the future teachers, the Pharisees will be held accountable. Jesus says “this will come on this generation”. The apostles carried on Jesus’ ministry after his death. The performed many of the same miracles that confirmed Jesus’ status as God’s son. Like Jesus, they were persecuted for their actions. Jesus’ statements could not have been any more accurate. The final lament over Jerusalem Jesus finishes his discourse by summarizing the state of Israel and predicting its future. His prediction was of course, spot on. To this day, Israel rejects Jesus as the true messiah. They still refuse to accept his message. Thus, Jesus concludes with a heartbreaking lament over the Jewish nation. Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem is one of the most poetic and touching verses in the Bible. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Thus, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Jesus has completed his criticisms of the Jewish leaders and finishes with a compassionate lament on the people the leaders have mislead. God, through Jesus, truly wanted to save Jerusalem from their misguided ways. As he said in Ezekiel 18:32, he “takes no pleasure in the death of anyone” but only seeks that they “repent and live”. But as Jesus notes, it is clear they are unwilling to comply. Thus the “house” (Israel) will be left behind, empty and void. They will never know Jesus until they recognize that he is the savior promised to them in the Old Testament. If the Jewish people never recognize Jesus as the messiah, will they be allowed in heaven? Jesus says the people of Israel will not see him again until they say, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord”. In other words, they will not see Jesus until they recognize him as the true Messiah. This begs the question, will Jewish people be allowed in heaven if they never recognize Jesus as the true messiah? Verses such as this are commonly used to presume Jews are doomed to hell. In short, it is not a question we are equipped to answer and presuming to believe Jews will not enter heaven is basically akin to classifying them as enemies of God. It’s not just dangerous view to adopt, it’s not a Christian spiritual stance by any means. We know the people of Israel are God’s children and he has historically gone to great lengths to help them. There is no reason to presume he would not do so again. Is there an eight woe? The NIV and other manuscripts omit verse 14 which says something similar to what is found in Mark and Luke: “They devour widows’ houses and for a show they make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.” Manuscripts that omit the verse believe it was added to scripture at a later time. If this verse were included, it could be argued that there are eight woes, not seven. The science and history behind the story Whitewashed tombs Jesus tells the Pharisees they are like whitewashed tombs – beautiful on the outside but full of unclean bones on the inside. In Jesus day, corpses were considered unclean and anyone who came in contact with them voided ritual cleanliness required of certain holidays. It was thus important for pilgrims to be able to identify graves. To help them out, graves were whitewashed to make them easy to identify. Zechariah, son of Berekiah Jesus tells the Pharisees, “Upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.” Abel of course, is the first victim of murder in the Bible (Genesis 4:8). The identity of the man Jesus refers to, Zechariah son of Berekiah, is unknown. He may be Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. The historian Josephus mentions a Zechariah, son of Baris who was murdered in the temple. It could be Zechariah, son of Berekiah (Zechariah 1:1). Or it may be Zechariah the son of Jehoiada whom we are told in 2 Chronicles 24:20 was a priest who was stoned to death in the courtyard of the temple. Since Jesus named Abel first, it is clear he was implying the Pharisees would be held accountable for deaths from the beginning of time to the current time, or possibly until the end of time. It is also likely that the person Jesus mentioned would be familiar to the Pharisees of the time. Thus, the identity of the person Jesus referred to may never be known to anyone but the Pharisees that Jesus was speaking to. Notes on Biblical translation Strain out a gnat Ancient Israelites were forbidden from drinking from a vessel in which something died, including something as small as a gnat. Thus, they went to great trouble to strain a gnat out of a drink to keep it from dying and making the drink unacceptable for consumption. Jesus tells the Pharisees that they “strain out a gnat but swallow a camel”. The Aramaic words for camel and gnat sound almost the same Thus Jesus’ statement would have carried additional weight because it would have been considered witty wordplay to the Pharisees. Bible Text NIV 13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. 15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it. 23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. 25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. 29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started! 33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation. 37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” The New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011. Print. The NET Bible 23:13 “But woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven! For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in. 23:15 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, and when you get one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves! 23:16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple is bound by nothing. But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’ 23:17 Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 23:18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing. But if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by the oath.’ 23:19 You are blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 23:20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 23:21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and the one who dwells in it. 23:22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it. 23:23 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you neglect what is more important in the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You should have done these things without neglecting the others. 23:24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel! 23:25 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 23:26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may become clean too! 23:27 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean. 23:28 In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 23:29 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 23:30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 23:31 By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 23:32 Fill up then the measure of your ancestors! 23:33 You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 23:34 “For this reason I am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, 23:35 so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 23:36 I tell you the truth, this generation will be held responsible for all these things! 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it! 23:38 Look, your house is left to you desolate! 23:39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Biblical Studies Press. The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press, 2006. Print. New King James Version 13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. 15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ 17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ 19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. 23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ 31 “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982. Print. The Message 13 “I’ve had it with you! You’re hopeless, you religion scholars, you Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God’s kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won’t let anyone else in either. 15 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You go halfway around the world to make a convert, but once you get him you make him into a replica of yourselves, double-damned. 16–22 “You’re hopeless! What arrogant stupidity! You say, ‘If someone makes a promise with his fingers crossed, that’s nothing; but if he swears with his hand on the Bible, that’s serious.’ What ignorance! Does the leather on the Bible carry more weight than the skin on your hands? And what about this piece of trivia: ‘If you shake hands on a promise, that’s nothing; but if you raise your hand that God is your witness, that’s serious’? What ridiculous hairsplitting! What difference does it make whether you shake hands or raise hands? A promise is a promise. What difference does it make if you make your promise inside or outside a house of worship? A promise is a promise. God is present, watching and holding you to account regardless. 23–24 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God’s Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that’s wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons? 25–26 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something. 27–28 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You’re like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it’s all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you’re saints, but beneath the skin you’re total frauds. 29–32 “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You build granite tombs for your prophets and marble monuments for your saints. And you say that if you had lived in the days of your ancestors, no blood would have been on your hands. You protest too much! You’re cut from the same cloth as those murderers, and daily add to the death count. 33–34 “Snakes! Reptilian sneaks! Do you think you can worm your way out of this? Never have to pay the piper? It’s on account of people like you that I send prophets and wise guides and scholars generation after generation—and generation after generation you treat them like dirt, greeting them with lynch mobs, hounding them with abuse. 35–36 “You can’t squirm out of this: Every drop of righteous blood ever spilled on this earth, beginning with the blood of that good man Abel right down to the blood of Zechariah, Barachiah’s son, whom you murdered at his prayers, is on your head. All this, I’m telling you, is coming down on you, on your generation. 37–39 “Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets! Killer of the ones who brought you God’s news! How often I’ve ached to embrace your children, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you wouldn’t let me. And now you’re so desolate, nothing but a ghost town. What is there left to say? Only this: I’m out of here soon. The next time you see me you’ll say, ‘Oh, God has blessed him! He’s come, bringing God’s rule!’ Peterson, Eugene H. The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2005. Print. King James Version 13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. 16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! 17 Ye fools 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 sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. 19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. 23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 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 ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. The Holy Bible: King James Version. Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009. Print.
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23 येशू मन्दिरतर्फ जानुभयो। र उहाँले सिकाइरहनु भएको बेला, मुख्य पुजारीहरू र जन-साधारणका अगुवाहरू येशूकहाँ आए। तिनीहरूले येशूलाई भने, “हामीलाई भन्नुहोस्। यी कार्यहरू गर्न तपाईंको के अधिकार छ? यस्तो अधिकार तपाईंलाई कसले दियो?” 24 येशूले जवाफ दिनुभयो, “म पनि तिमीहरूलाई एउटा प्रश्न सोध्न चाहन्छु। यदि तिमीहरूले मलाई जवाफ दियौ भने, म कुन अधिकारले यी कामहरू गरीरहेछु भनी बताउनेछु। 25 मलाई भन: यूहन्नाको बप्तिस्मा परमेश्वरबाट वा मानिस कसबाट भयो?” मुख्य पूजारीहरू र यहूदी नेताहरूले येशूको यो प्रश्न बारे बहस गरे। तिनीहरू आपसमा बात चीत गर्न थाले, “यदि हामीले यूहन्नाको बप्तिस्मा परमेश्वरबाटै भएको थियो, भन्यौ भने उहाँले भन्नु हुनेछ ‘त्यसो भए तिमीहरूले यूहन्नालाई किन विश्वास नगरेको?’ 26 यदि हामीहरूले ‘यो बप्तिस्मा मानिसबाटै भएको थियो,’ भन्यौ भने सबै मानिसहरू हामीहरूसँग रिसाउने छन्। हामी मानिसहरूबाट सावधान हुनुपर्छ किनभने तिनीहरू सबै यूहन्नालाई अगमवक्ता हो भनेर विश्वास गर्छन्।” 27 त्यसपछि तिनीहरूले येशूलाई जवाफ दिए, “यूहन्नालाई कहाँबाट त्यो अधिकार दिइयो हामी जान्दैनौ।” तब येशूले भन्नुभयो, “त्यसो भए म पनि भन्ने छैन कि कुन अधिकारले म यी सब कार्यहरू गरिरहेछु। येशूद्वारा दुइ जना पुत्रको उखान 28 “तिमीहरू यसको बारेमा के सोच्छौ? एकजना मानिसका दुइ छोराहरू थिए। त्यो मानिसले आफ्नो जेठा छोरालाई भन्यो, ‘छोरा, जाऊ र गएर आज दाखबरीमा काम गर।’ 29 “छोराले जवाफ दियो, ‘म जाँदिन।’ तर केही समयपछि उसले आफ्नो विचार बद्ल्यो, अनि गयो। 30 “त्यसपछि बाबु अर्को छोराकहाँ गए र भने, ‘छोरा, जाऊ अनि आज मेरो दाखबरीमा काम गर।’ छोरोले जवाफ दियो, ‘हुन्छ, बाबु, म गएर काम गर्छु।’ तर त्यो छोरा गएन। 31 “अब यी दुइ छोराहरूमा कुन चाहिँले आफ्नो बाबुको आज्ञा पालन गर्यो?” यहूदी नेताहरूले जवाफ दिए, “जेठा चाँहिले।” येशूले तिनीहरूलाई भन्नुभयो, “म साँच्चो कुरा तिमीहरूलाई भन्दछु। महसूल उठाउनेहरू र वेश्याहरू खराब मानिसहरू हुन् भनी तिमीहरू ठान्दछौ। तर परमेश्वरको राज्यमा तिमीहरू भन्दा पहिले तिनीहरूले प्रवेश गर्न पाउनेछन्। 32 यूहन्ना सही जीवन बाँच्ने उपाय देखाउनलाई आएका थिए। तर तिमीहरूले यूहन्नालाई पटक्कै विश्वास गरेनौ। तर महसूल उठाउनेहरू र वेश्याहरूले यूहन्ना माथि विश्वास गरे। अनि महसूल उठाउनेहरू र वेश्याहरूले यूहन्नालाई विश्वास गरेको तिमीहरूले देखेका थियौ। तर अझै पनि तिमीहरूले उनलाई विश्वास गर्न मन गरेनौ। परमेश्वरले आफ्ना पुत्रलाई पठाउँनुहुन्छ 33 “यो उखान सुन कुनै मानिसको जमीन थियो। उसले त्यो जमीनमा दाख लगायो। उसले दाखको जमीनको वरिपरि पर्खाल निर्माण गर्यो। अनि त्यसभित्र दाख पेल्ने कोलखनेको थियो। फेरि त्यो मानिसले एउटा मचान बनाचो। उसले आफ्नो खेत कोही किसानहरूलाई जिम्मा दिएर ऊ यात्रामा गयो। 34 केही समय पछि, फसल उठाउने समय भयो। अनि त्यस मानिसले आफ्नो हिस्सा ल्याउन पठायो। 35 “तर किसानहरूले ती नोकरहरूलाई समाते अनि एकजनालाई पिटे, अर्कोलाई मारिदिए अनि अर्कोलाई ढुङ्गाले हिर्काएर मारिदिए। 36 फेरि त्यो खेत-मालिकले किसानहरूकहाँ अरू नोकरहरूलाई पठायो। उसले पाहिलेभन्दा धेरै नोकरहरू पठाएको थियो। तर किसानहरूले तिनीहरूसँग पनि यस्तै नै व्यवहार गरे। 37 त्यसपछि उसले आफ्नै छोरालाई किसानहरूकहाँ पठायो। उसले भन्यो, ‘किसानहरूले मेरो छोरालाई आदर देखाउनेछन्।’ 38 “तर किसानहरूले आपसमा यसो भने, ‘यो ता मालिकको छोरा हो। यो खेत उसको हुनेछ। हामीले यसलाई मार्यौ भने खेत हाम्रै हुनेछ।’ 39 अनि किसानहरूले छोरालाई समातेर, उसलाई खेत बाहिर मारेर फ्याँकिदिए। 40 “अब त्यो खेत को मालिक आएर ती किसानलाई के गर्ला?” 41 ती यहूदी पूजाहारीहरू र नेताहरूले भने, “उसले ती दुष्टहरूलाई अवश्य नै मार्नेछ। त्यसपछि उनले आफ्नो खेत अरू किसानहरूलाई कमाउन दिनेछन्। जसले फलको समयमा मालिकलाई उसको भाग बुझाउन ल्याउँछ उनीहरूलाई त्यो खेत कमाउन दिईनेछ।” 42 येशूले तिनीहरूलाई भन्नुभयो, “निश्चय नै तिमीहरूले यो धर्मशास्त्रमा पढेका छौ: ‘जुन ढुङ्गालाई डकर्मीहरूले रद्द गरे, त्यही ढुङ्गा मुख्य कुने ढुङ्गा बन्यो। यो परमप्रभुले गर्नु भएको हो, र यो हाम्रो लागि अचम्मको हुनेछ।’ 43 “त्यसैकारण म तिमीहरूलाई भन्दछु, परमेश्वरको राज्य तिमीहरूबाट खोसिनेछ। त्यस पछि परमेश्वरले यस्ता मानिसहरूलाई दिनु हुनेछ, जसले परमेश्वरले आफ्नो राज्यमा चाहनु भए अनुसारको काम उत्पन्न गर्नेछन्। 44 अनि जो कोही पनि त्यो ढुङ्गामाथि खस्नेछ ऊ टुक्रा टुक्रा बन्नेछ। यदि त्यो ढुङ्गा कसैमाथि खस्यो भने त्यसले त्यसलाई धूलोपिठो पार्नेछ।” 45 येशूले भन्नु भएको यो उखानलाई मुख्य पूजाहारीहरू र फरिसीहरूले सुने। येशूले तिनीहरूकै विषयमा बोल्दै हुनुहुन्छ भन्ने कुरा तिनीहरूले बुझे। 46 तिनीहरू येशूलाई पक्रने उपाय खोजीरहेका थिए। तर तिनीहरू मानिसहरूदेखि डराउँथे। किनभने मानिसहरूमा येशू अगमवक्ता हुन् भन्ने विश्वास थियो। रात्री भोजनमा बोलाइएका मानिसहरूको दृष्टान्त 22 मानिसहरूलाई बुझाउनका निम्ति येशूले केही दृष्टान्तहरू भन्नुभयो। 2 “स्वर्गका राज्य एउटा राजा जस्तै हो, जसले आफ्नो छोराको विवाहमा भोजनको व्यवस्था गर्छन्। 3 राजाले केही मानिसहरूलाई भोजमा निम्तो गरेका थिए। जब भोज तयार भयो, राजाले आफ्ना नोकरहरूलाई ती मानिसहरूलाई बोलाउन पठाए। तर मानिसहरूले राजाको यस भोजमा उपास्थित हुन अस्वीकार गरे। 4 “तब राजाले अझ धेरै नोकरहरू पठाए। राजाले नोकरहरूलाई यसो भनेका थिए, ‘मैले निम्ताएका ती मानिसहरूलाई खाना तयार भयो भनेर भन्नु। मैले मेरा गोरूहरू अनि पुष्ट्याएका पशुहरू मारेकोछु। सबै कुरा तयारी छ। विवाहको भोजमा सामेल हुन आऊ।’ 5 “नोकरहरूले ती मानिसहरूलाई भोजमा आउने आग्रह गरे। तर तिनीहरू नोकरहरूको कुरा सुन्न अस्वीकीर गरे। ती मानिसहरू आ-आफ्नै काममा लागे। एकजना आफ्नो खेतमा गए, अनि अर्को आफ्नो व्यापारतिर लागे। 6 कसैले नोकरहरूलाई समातेर पीटे अनि तिनीहरूलाई मारिदिए। 7 यो सुनेर राजा क्रोधित भए। राजाले आफ्नो सेना पठाए, ती हत्याराहरूलाई मारे अनि तिनीहरूको शहर जलाएर भष्म पारिदिए। 8 “त्यसपछि, राजाले आफ्ना नोकरहरूलाई भने, ‘विवाहको भोज तयारी छ। मैले ती मानिसहरूलाई बोलाएको हुँ, तर तिनीहरू यो भोजमा सामेल हुन योग्यको भएनन्। 9 यसकारण तिमीहरू गल्लीका कुना कुनामा जाऊ अनि देखेकाहरू जतिलाई भोजमा सामेल हुन निम्त्याएर ल्याऊ। तिनीहरूलाई मेरो भोजमा आऊ भनिदेऊ।’ 10 अनि नोकरहरू गल्लीहरूतिर गए। तिनीहरूले भेटेसम्म सबैलाई भेला पारे। तिनीहरूले राम्रा मानिसहरू सबैलाइ भोजमा सामेल गराउन लगे। त्यो ठाउँ मानिसै-मानिसको भीडले भरियो। 11 “त्यसपछि ती खाँदैगरेका मानिसहरूलाई हेर्न भनी राजा आए। कुनै एकजनालाई विवाहको पोशाकमा नभएको राजाले भेट्टाए। 12 राजाले भने, ‘मित्र, तिमी यहाँ भित्र कसरी आयौ? विवाहको लागि लाउने पोशाक तिमीले लगाएका छैनौ।’ तर त्यो मानिस केही बोलेन। 13 अनि राजाले आफ्ना नोकहरूलाई भने, ‘त्यसका हात खुट्टा बाँधेर त्यसलाई अँध्यारोमा फलिदेऊ जहाँ मानिसहरू दु:खले रूवाबसी गर्दै र दाह्रा किट्दै बस्छन्।’ 14 “हो धेरै मानिसहरू बोलाइएका हुन्छन्। तर चुनिएका थोरै मात्र छन्।” केही यहूदी नेताहरू येशूलाई झुक्याउन खोज्छन् 15 तब फरिसीहरूले त्यो स्थान छाडे जहाँ येशूले सिकाँउदै हुनुहुन्थ्यो। येशूलाई प्रश्नहरूको जालमा पार्न तिनीहरू सहमत भए। 16 फरिसीहरूले येशूलाई फँसाउन केही मानिसहरू पठाए। तिनीहरूले केही आफ्नै मानिसहरू र केही हेरोदी दलका मानिसहरूलाई पठाए। ती मानिसहरूले भने, “गुरूज्यू, तपाईं अति इमान्दार हुनूहुन्छ भनेर हामी जान्दछौ। हामी जान्दछौं तपाईंले परमेश्वरको मार्ग बारे ठीकसित सिकाउनुहुन्छ। तपाईं कसैसित डराउनु हुन्न। तपाईंको अधि सबै मानिसहरू समान छन्। यसर्थ हामीलाई तपाईंका धारणा भन्नु होस्। 17 सिजरलाई महसूल तिर्नु उचित हो कि होइन?” 18 तर ती मानिसहरूले नराम्रो जालसाजी गर्दैछन् भनेर येशूले बुझीहाल्नुभयो। अनि उहाँले भन्नुभयो, “तिमीहरू कपटीहरू हौ। केही झूटो निहुँमा तिमीहरू मलाई फँसाउन चाहन्छौ? 19 महसूल तिर्नमा उपयोग गरीने सिक्का मलाई देखाऊ।” ती मानिसहरूले येशूलाई एक चाँदीको सिक्का देखाए। 20 येशूले फेरि भन्नुभयो, “सिक्कामा कसको चित्र छ? अनि कसको नाम त्यहाँ अंकित छ।” 21 ती मानिसहरूले जवाफ दिए, “यो सिजरको चित्र हो र यसमा सिजरको नाम अंकित छ।” येशूले फेरि भन्नुभयो, “जो सिजरको हो त्यो सिजरलाई देऊ र जो परमेश्वरको परमेश्वरलाई देऊ।” 22 ती मानिसहरूले येशूले भन्नुभएको कुरा सुने, र तिनीहरू छक्क परे। अनि येशूलाई त्यही छोडेर तिनीहरू गए। सदुकीहरू येशूलाई फँसाउन चाहन्छन् 23 त्यही दिन केही सदुकीहरू येशूकहाँ आए। सदुकीहरू विश्वास गर्थे कि कुनै मानिस मृत्युबाट बौरी उठ्ने छैन। सदुकीहरूले येशूलाई एउटा प्रश्न गरे; 24 तिनीहरूले भने, “गुरूज्यू, मोशाले भने अनुसार कुनै विवाहित पुरूष बालबच्चा नभईकन मर्यो भने उसको भाइले आफ्ना दाज्यूका निम्ति सन्तानहरू जन्माउन त्यस विधवा आइमाईलाई विवाह गर्नसक्छ। 25 हामी बीच सातजना दाज्यू-भाइहरू थिए। जेठाले विवाह गर्यो र मर्यो। उसको कुनै बालबच्चा थिएन। यसर्थ उसको भाइले विधवी भाउज्यूलाई विवाह गर्यो। 26 त्यसपछि त्यो दोस्रो भाइ पनि मर्यो। त्यस्तै घट्ना तेस्रो भाइसँग पनि घट्यो र त्यस्तै अरू दाज्यू-भाइहरूसँग गर्दै सात दाज्यू-भाइसम्म घट्यो। 27 तिनीहरू सबै मरेपछि त्यो आईमाई पनि मरी। 28 तर ती सातैजना दाज्यू-भाइहरूले त्यस आईमाईलाई विवाह गरेका थिए। तब पुनरूत्थनामा त्यो स्त्रीको पति कुन चाही हुनेछ?” 29 येशूले जवाफ दिनुभयो, “तिमीहरू योकुरा बुझ्दैनौ किनभने धर्मशास्त्रमा के लेखेको छ त्यो तिमीहरू जान्दैनौ। परमेश्वरको शक्तिको विषयमा पनि तिमीहरू केही जान्दैनौ। 30 त्यसबेला जब मानिसहरू मृत्युबाट बौरिउठ्छन् त्यहाँ विवाहको प्रश्न नै आँउदैन। मानिसहरू त्यहाँ एक-अर्का संग विवाह गर्ने छैनन्। सबै मानिसहरू स्वर्गका स्वर्गदूतहरू झैं हुनेछन्। 31 यसकारण पुनरूत्थानको विषयमा परमेश्वरले तिमीहरूलाई के भन्नु भएको छ त्यो पढेका छैनौ। 32 परमेश्वरले भन्नुभएको छ, ‘म अब्राहामको परमेश्वर, इसहाकको परमेश्वर, अनि याकूब का परमेश्वर हुँ।’ यसको मतलब परमेश्वर मृत मानिसहरूका परमेश्वर हुनुहुन्न तर जिउँदा मानिसहरूको परमेश्वर हुनुहुन्छ।” 33 मानिसहरूले सुने र येशूको शिक्षामा तिनीहरू छक्क परे। सबैभन्दा ठूले आज्ञा कुन हो? 34 येशूले सदुकीहरूदलाई यसरी जवाफ दिएर तिनीहरूलाई चुप बनाई दिनू भएको सुनेर फरिसीहरू जम्मा भए। 35 एकजना फरिसी मोशाको व्यवस्था प्रति निकै ज्ञान भएको थियो। त्यो फरिसीले येशूलाई परीक्षा गर्ने इच्छा गर्यो। 36 त्यस फरिसीले येशूलाई सोध्यो, “गुरूज्यू, व्यवस्थामा सबैभन्दा ठूलो आज्ञा कुन हो?” 37 येशूले जवाफ दिनुभयो, “‘तिमीले आफ्ना परमप्रभु परमेश्वरलाई प्रेम गर्नुपर्छ। आफ्नो सम्पूर्ण हृदयदेखि, सम्पूर्ण आत्मादेखि र सम्पूर्ण मनदेखि प्रेम गर्नुपर्छ।’ 38 यहीनै पहिलो र सबै भन्दा महान आज्ञा हो। 39 दोस्रो आज्ञा पहिलो जस्तै छ ‘आफूलाई जस्तै अरू मानिसलाई पनि प्रेम गर्नु।’ 40 अगमवक्ताहरूका सबै व्यवस्था र रचनाहरू यिनै दुइ आज्ञाहरूमा आधारित छन्।” फरिसीहरूलाई येशूको प्रश्न 41 जब फरिसीहरू त्यहाँ भेला भईरहेका थिए, येशूले तिनीहरूलाई एउटा प्रश्न गर्नुभयो, 42 “ख्रीष्टको विषयमा तिमीहरूको के धारणा छ? उहाँ कसको पुत्र हुनुहुन्छ।” फरिसीहरूले जवाफ दिए, “ख्रीष्ट दाऊदका पुत्र हुन्।” 43 त्यसपछि येशूले फरिसीहरूलाई भन्नुभयो, “यदि त्यसो भए दाउदले उहाँलाई किन ‘परमप्रभु’ भने? दाऊद पवित्र आत्माको शक्तिद्वारा बोलिरहेका थिए। दाऊदले भने, 44 ‘प्रभुले मेरो प्रभुलाई भन्नुभयो: मेरो दाहिनेपटि बस, अनि म तिम्रो शत्रुहरूलाई तिम्रा वशमा राख्नेछु।’ 45 दाऊदले ख्रीष्टलाई ‘परमप्रभु’ भन्दछन्। त्यसो भए कसरी उनि दादको पुत्र हुनसक्छन्?” 46 कुनै पनि फरिसीहरूले येशूको यो प्रश्नको जवाफ दिन सकेनन्। अनि त्यसदिनदेखि कसैले पनि येशूलाई अझ बढ़ता प्रश्नहरू गर्ने साहस गरेनन्। येशूद्वारा धार्मिक गुरूहरूको आलोचना 23 तब येशूले मानिसहरू र आफ्ना चेलाहरूसँग कुराकानी गर्नुभयो। येशूले भन्नुभयो, 2 “कानूनका शास्त्रीहरू र फरिसीहरूलाई मोशाको नियमको विषयमा शिक्षादिने अधिकार छ। 3 यसर्थ तिनीहरूले सिकाएको कुरा पालन गर्नु पर्छ। तिनीहरूले अह्राएका कामहरू गर्नु। तर तिनीहरूको जीवनशैलीको अनुशरण नगर्नु। तिनीहरू केही गर्न भनि तिमीहरूलाई अह्राउँछन् तर आफू चाँहि केही गर्देनन्। 4 मानिसहरूले पालन गर्नु अति कठीन पर्ने नियमहरू तिनीहरू बनाउँछन्। ती नियमहरू पालन गर्न तिनीहरू अरूलाई करमा पादर्छन्। तर तिनीहरू आफैं चाँहि कुनै नियम पालन गर्ने चेष्टा पनि गर्दैनन्। 5 “तिनीहरू मानिसहरूलाई देखाउनका निम्ति राम्रा कुरा गर्दछन्। तिनीहरू आफ्ना धर्मशास्त्रहरूका विशेष सन्दूक राख्छन्। तिनीहरू सन्दूकहरू ठूला-ठूला बनाउँछन्। अनि मानिसहरूले देख्न सकुन भनेर तिनीहरू आफ्ना प्रार्थनामा लगाउने वस्त्रहरू पनि लामा-लामा बनाउँछन्। 6 ती कानुनका शास्त्रीहरू र फरिसीहरू उत्सवहरूमा विशेष आसनहरू ओगट्न रूचाउँछन्। त्यसरी नै सभाघरहरूमा पनि मुख्य आसनहरू प्राप्त गर्न चाहन्छन्। 7 बजारहरूमा पनि तिनीहरू मानिसहरूबाट सम्मान पाउने इच्छा गर्छन्। अनि तिनीहरूलाई ‘गुरू’ भनी सम्बोधन गरेको सुन्न चाहन्छन्। 8 “तर तिमीहरूको ‘गुरू’ हुँदैन। तिनीहरू सबै दाज्यूभाइहरू अनि दिदी-बहीनीहरू हौ। तिमीहरूको एक मात्र ‘गुरू’ हुनुहुन्छ। 9 अनि यस पृथ्वीमा कसैले पनि कसैलाई ‘पिता’ भनी सम्बोधन नगर्नु। तिमीहरूको एक मात्र पिता हुनुहुन्छ। उहाँ स्वर्गमा हुनुहुन्छ। 10 अनि तिमीहरूले ‘मालिक’ भन्नु हुँदैन। तिमीहरूको एकमात्र मालिक हुनुहुन्छ, ख्रीष्ट। 11 तिमीहरूमाझ जो सबै भन्दा महान छ, ऊ तिमीहरूको सेवक हुनुपर्छ। 12 जसले आफूलाई ठूलो देखाउँछ उसले आफूलाई नम्र तुल्याउनु पर्छ। 13 “शास्त्रीहरू र फरिसीहरूका निम्ति यो अति नराम्रो हुनेछ। तिमीहरू कपटीहरू हौ। तिमीहरू स्वर्गको राज्यमा प्रेवश गर्न चाहने मानिसहरूको ढोका थुन्छौ। तिमीहरू आफैं पनि प्रवेश गर्दैनौ, अनि प्रवेश गर्न इच्छा गर्ने अरूहरूलाई पनि बाधा दिन्छौ। 14 [a] 15 “तिमी शास्त्रीहरू र फरिसीहरूका निम्ति यो खराब हुनेछ। तिमीहरू कपटीहरू हौ। तिमीहरू एक मानिसलाई आफ्नो मतमा ल्याउनकालागि समुद्रहरू पार गर्दै विभिन्न देशहरू चाहार्छौ यस्तो कोही मानिसहरू भेट्टायो भने तिनीहरू त्यसलाई आफू भन्दा दोबर खराब तुल्याउँछौ। अनि तिमीहरू यति हुन्छौ कि तिमीहरू नरकको योग्य हुन्छौ। 16 “यी शास्त्रीहरू र फरिसीहरूलाई धिक्कार। तिमीहरू अन्धो छौ अनि तिमीहरू अरूलाई डोर्याउँछौ। तिमीहरू भन्दछौ, ‘यदि कसैले मन्दिरको नाममा शपथ लियो त्यो अर्थहीन हुन्छ। तर यदि कसैले मन्दिरको सुन छोएर शपथ गर्यो भने, उसले त्यो शपथ पूरा गर्नुपर्छ’ 17 तिमीहरू अन्धो-मूर्खहरू हौ! सुन ठूलो हो की सुनलाई पवित्र पार्ने मन्दिर ठूलो? 18 “अनि तिमीहरू भन्दछौ, ‘यदि कसैले वेदी छोएर शपथ लियो भने त्यो केही होइन। तर यदि कसैले बेदीमाथिको भेटी छोएर शपथ लियो भने त्यो आफ्नो कसमको ऋणी हुन्छ।’ 19 तिमीहरू अन्धो हौ। भेटी कि भेटीलाई पवित्र तुल्याउने वेदी ठूलो हो? 20 जसले प्रतिज्ञा गर्नलाई वेदीको प्रयोग गर्छ उसले वेदी र त्यसमा भएका भेटी दुवै चीजलाई छोएर प्रतिज्ञा गरेको हुन्छ। 21 अनि जसले प्रतिज्ञा गर्नलाई मन्दिरको प्रयोग गर्छ उसले मन्दिर र मन्दिरमा बस्ने ‘एकलाई’ छोएर शपथ खाएको हुन्छ। 22 अनि जसले स्वर्गको नाउँमा शपथ लिन्छ उसले परमेश्वरको सिंहासन अनि त्यस सिंहासनमा बस्नेलाई छोएर शपथ लिएको हुनेछ। 23 “शास्त्रीहरू र फरिसीहरूलाई धिक्कार। तिमीहरू कपटीहरू हौ। आफूमा भएको हरेक चीजको, पुदीना, सूप र जीरा को दशांश भागमा एक भाग मात्र परमेश्वरलाई दिन्छौ। तर तिमीहरू असल हुने दया देखाउने र इमान्दार हुने जस्ता व्यवस्थाका प्रमुख कुराहरू लत्याउँछौ। तिमीहरूले ती कुराहरू पनि नलत्याइकन यी कामहरू गर्नुपर्ने हो। 24 तिमीहरू अन्धा छौ तर अरूलाई अगुवाइ गर्ने कोशिश गर्छौ। तिमीहरू भुसुना चाँहि चाल्दछौ तर ऊँटलाई चाँहि निल्दछौ। तिमीहरू त्यस्तै छौ। 25 “शास्त्रीहरू र फरिसीहरूलाई धिक्कार हो। तिमीहरू कपटीहरू हौ। तिमीहरू आफ्नो थाल र बटुकोलाई बाहिरबाट मात्र धुन्छौ। तर भित्र भने अरूलाई ठगेर हत्याएका बस्तुहरू अनि तिमीहरू स्वयंलाई खुशी पार्ने चीजहरूले भरिएका हुन्छन्। 26 ए अन्धा फारिसीहरू पहिला प्यालाको भित्रपटि सफा गर र त्यसलाई चोखो बनाऊ। तब प्यालाको बाहिरी भाग पनि चोखो हुनेछ। 27 “व्यवस्थाका शास्त्रीहरू र फरिसीहरूलाई धिक्कार। तिमीहरू कपटी हौ। तिमीहरू चुना पोतेको चिहानहरू जस्ता छौ, जो बाहिरबाट सुन्दर देखिन्छन। तर भित्रपट्टि मरेको मानिहरूको हड्डीहरू हुन्छन्। 28 तिमीहरू पनि त्यस्तै हौ। बाहिरबाट तिमीहरूलाई राम्रै देखिन्छ। तर भित्र तिमीहरूमा छल र कपटले भरिएको छ। 29 “शास्त्रीहरू र फरिसीहरूलाई धिक्कार। तिमीहरू कपटीहरू हौ। अघिका अगमवक्ताहरूको लागी तिमीहरूले चिहान बनाउँछौ। असल मानिसहरूको चिहानहरू सिंगार्छौ। 30 अनि तिमीहरू भन्दछौ, ‘यदि हामी हाम्रा पूर्खाहरूका समयमा हुँदो हो, ता ती अगमवक्ताहरूलाई मार्न हामी उनीहरूलाई सहयोग गर्ने थिएनौ।’ 31 यसरी अगमवक्ताहरू मार्नेका सन्तान हामी हौं भन्ने स्वीकार आफैं तिमीहरू दिन्छौ। 32 यसकारण जाऊ अनि आफ्ना पुर्खाहरूले शुरू गरेका पापकर्म पुरा गर। 33 “तिमीहरू सर्पहरू हौ। तिमीहरू विषालु सर्पका संन्तानहरू हौ। परमेश्वरदेखि तिमीहरू उम्कन सक्दैनौ। तिमीहरू सबै दोषी पाइनेछौ अनि नरकमा जानेछौ। 34 यसकारण म तिमीहरूलाई भन्दछु: म तिमीहरूकोलागि अगमवक्ताहरू बुद्धिमान मानिसहरू र शास्त्रीहरू पठाउँछु। यी मध्ये कतिपयलाई तिमीहरूले मार्नेछौ। कसैलाई झुण्डयाउनेछौ। कसैलाई तिम्रा सभाघरमा कोर्रा लाउनेछौ अनि एउटा शहर देखि अर्को शहरसम्म तिनीहरूलाई लघार्छौ। 35 “अनि पृथ्वीमा मारिएका सबै असल मानिसहरूको रगतको निम्ति तिमीहरूलाई दोष्याइँनेछ। हाबिल जस्ता राम्रा मानिसको रगतका निम्ति अनि मन्दिर र वेदीको माझमा मारिएको बेरेक्याहको छोरो जकरियाको रगतको निम्ति यस पृथ्वीमा हाबिल देखि जकरियाको समयसम्म मारिएका सबै राम्रा मानिसहरूको रगतको निम्ति तिमीहरूनै दोषी ठहरिनेछौ। 36 म तिमीहरूलाई साँच्चो भन्दछु। यी सबै कुरा तिमीहरू नै अहिले बाँचिरहेका मानिसहरूमाथि आइलाग्नेछ। येशूद्वारा यरूशलेमका मानिसहरूलाई चेताउनी 37 “हे यरूशलेम, यरूशलेम! तिमीहरू अगमवक्ताहरूलाई मार्छौ अनि तिमीहरूकहाँ पठाइएका संदेशवाहकहरूलाई ढुङ्गाहान्छौ। धेरैपल्ट मैले तिम्रा मानिसहरूलाई मद्दत गर्न चाहेको हुँ। जसरी पोथीले आफ्ना चल्लाहरूलाई पखेटामुनि बटुल्छ त्यसरीनै मैले तिम्रा मानिसहरूलाई बटुल्न चाहेको हुँ। तर तिमीहरूले मलाई त्यसो गर्न दिएनौ। 38 तब तिमीहरूको घर पनि उजाड बनाइनेछ। 39 म भन्दछु, ‘अब उप्रान्त परमप्रभुको नाउँमा आउने मानिस धन्यका हुन्,’ भन्दै उसलाई स्वागत नगरून्जेल सम्म तिमीहरूले मलाई देख्नेछैनौ।”मत्ती २१: २ 23-२3:।।