Matthew 23 - Bible in Basic English with Greek
Law History Wisdom Prophets Gospels Acts Epistles Apocalyptic
1 Then Jesus said to the people and to his disciples: | 1 τότε ὁ ἰησοῦς ἐλάλησεν τοῖς ὄχλοις καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ | |
2 The scribes and the Pharisees have the authority of Moses; | 2 λέγων, ἐπὶ τῆς μωϊσέως καθέδρας ἐκάθισαν οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ φαρισαῖοι. | |
3 All things, then, which they give you orders to do, these do and keep: but do not take their works as your example, for they say and do not. | 3 πάντα οὗν ὅσα ἐὰν εἴπωσιν ὑμῖν ποιήσατε καὶ τηρεῖτε, κατὰ δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν μὴ ποιεῖτε· λέγουσιν γὰρ καὶ οὐ ποιοῦσιν. | |
4 They make hard laws and put great weights on men's backs; but they themselves will not put a finger to them. | 4 δεσμεύουσιν δὲ φορτία βαρέα [καὶ δυσβάστακτα] καὶ ἐπιτιθέασιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὤμους τῶν ἀνθρώπων, αὐτοὶ δὲ τῶ δακτύλῳ αὐτῶν οὐ θέλουσιν κινῆσαι αὐτά. | |
5 But all their works they do so as to be seen by men: for they make wide their phylacteries, and the edges of their robes, | 5 πάντα δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν ποιοῦσιν πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· πλατύνουσιν γὰρ τὰ φυλακτήρια αὐτῶν καὶ μεγαλύνουσιν τὰ κράσπεδα, | |
6 And the things desired by them are the first places at feasts, and the chief seats in the Synagogues, | 6 φιλοῦσιν δὲ τὴν πρωτοκλισίαν ἐν τοῖς δείπνοις καὶ τὰς πρωτοκαθεδρίας ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς | |
7 And words of respect in the market-places, and to be named by men, Teacher. | 7 καὶ τοὺς ἀσπασμοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἀγοραῖς καὶ καλεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ῥαββί. | |
8 But you may not be named Teacher: for one is your teacher, and you are all brothers. | 8 ὑμεῖς δὲ μὴ κληθῆτε, ῥαββί, εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὑμῶν ὁ διδάσκαλος, πάντες δὲ ὑμεῖς ἀδελφοί ἐστε. | |
9 And give no man the name of father on earth: because one is your Father, who is in heaven. | 9 καὶ πατέρα μὴ καλέσητε ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὑμῶν ὁ πατὴρ ὁ οὐράνιος. | |
10 And you may not be named guides: because one is your Guide, even Christ. | 10 μηδὲ κληθῆτε καθηγηταί, ὅτι καθηγητὴς ὑμῶν ἐστιν εἷς ὁ χριστός. | |
11 But let the greatest among you be your servant. | 11 ὁ δὲ μείζων ὑμῶν ἔσται ὑμῶν διάκονος. | |
12 And whoever makes himself high will be made low, and whoever makes himself low will be made high. | 12 ὅστις δὲ ὑψώσει ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται, καὶ ὅστις ταπεινώσει ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται. | |
13 But a curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! because you are shutting the kingdom of heaven against men: for you do not go in yourselves, and those who are going in, you keep back. | 13 οὐαὶ δὲ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί, ὅτι κλείετε τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων· ὑμεῖς γὰρ οὐκ εἰσέρχεσθε, οὐδὲ τοὺς εἰσερχομένους ἀφίετε εἰσελθεῖν. | |
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15 A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you go about land and sea to get one disciple and, having him, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. | 15 οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί, ὅτι περιάγετε τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ τὴν ξηρὰν ποιῆσαι ἕνα προσήλυτον, καὶ ὅταν γένηται ποιεῖτε αὐτὸν υἱὸν γεέννης διπλότερον ὑμῶν. | |
16 A curse is on you, blind guides, who say, Whoever takes an oath by the Temple, it is nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the gold of the Temple, he is responsible. | 16 οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, ὁδηγοὶ τυφλοὶ οἱ λέγοντες, ὃς ἂν ὀμόσῃ ἐν τῶ ναῶ, οὐδέν ἐστιν· ὃς δ᾽ ἂν ὀμόσῃ ἐν τῶ χρυσῶ τοῦ ναοῦ ὀφείλει. | |
17 You foolish ones and blind: which is greater, the gold, or the Temple which makes the gold holy? | 17 μωροὶ καὶ τυφλοί, τίς γὰρ μείζων ἐστίν, ὁ χρυσὸς ἢ ὁ ναὸς ὁ ἁγιάσας τὸν χρυσόν; | |
18 And, Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the offering which is on it, he is responsible. | 18 καί, ὃς ἂν ὀμόσῃ ἐν τῶ θυσιαστηρίῳ, οὐδέν ἐστιν· ὃς δ᾽ ἂν ὀμόσῃ ἐν τῶ δώρῳ τῶ ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ ὀφείλει. | |
19 You blind ones: which is greater, the offering, or the altar which makes the offering holy? | 19 τυφλοί, τί γὰρ μεῖζον, τὸ δῶρον ἢ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ ἁγιάζον τὸ δῶρον; | |
20 He, then, who takes an oath by the altar, takes it by the altar and by all things on it. | 20 ὁ οὗν ὀμόσας ἐν τῶ θυσιαστηρίῳ ὀμνύει ἐν αὐτῶ καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ· | |
21 And he who takes an oath by the Temple, takes it by the Temple and by him whose house it is. | 21 καὶ ὁ ὀμόσας ἐν τῶ ναῶ ὀμνύει ἐν αὐτῶ καὶ ἐν τῶ κατοικοῦντι αὐτόν· | |
22 And he who takes an oath by heaven, takes it by the seat of God, and by him who is seated on it. | 22 καὶ ὁ ὀμόσας ἐν τῶ οὐρανῶ ὀμνύει ἐν τῶ θρόνῳ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐν τῶ καθημένῳ ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ. | |
23 A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you make men give a tenth of all sorts of sweet-smelling plants, but you give no thought to the more important things of the law, righteousness, and mercy, and faith; but it is right for you to do these, and not to let the others be undone. | 23 οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί, ὅτι ἀποδεκατοῦτε τὸ ἡδύοσμον καὶ τὸ ἄνηθον καὶ τὸ κύμινον, καὶ ἀφήκατε τὰ βαρύτερα τοῦ νόμου, τὴν κρίσιν καὶ τὸ ἔλεος καὶ τὴν πίστιν· ταῦτα [δὲ] ἔδει ποιῆσαι κἀκεῖνα μὴ ἀφιέναι. | |
24 You blind guides, who take out a fly from your drink, but make no trouble over a camel. | 24 ὁδηγοὶ τυφλοί, οἱ διϊλίζοντες τὸν κώνωπα τὴν δὲ κάμηλον καταπίνοντες. | |
25 A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of violent behaviour and uncontrolled desire. | 25 οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί, ὅτι καθαρίζετε τὸ ἔξωθεν τοῦ ποτηρίου καὶ τῆς παροψίδος, ἔσωθεν δὲ γέμουσιν ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς καὶ ἀκρασίας. | |
26 You blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside may become equally clean. | 26 φαρισαῖε τυφλέ, καθάρισον πρῶτον τὸ ἐντὸς τοῦ ποτηρίου, ἵνα γένηται καὶ τὸ ἐκτὸς αὐτοῦ καθαρόν. | |
27 A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! for you are like the resting-places of the dead, which are made white, and seem beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and of all unclean things. | 27 οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί, ὅτι παρομοιάζετε τάφοις κεκονιαμένοις, οἵτινες ἔξωθεν μὲν φαίνονται ὡραῖοι ἔσωθεν δὲ γέμουσιν ὀστέων νεκρῶν καὶ πάσης ἀκαθαρσίας. | |
28 Even so you seem to men to be full of righteousness, but inside you are all false and full of wrongdoing. | 28 οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔξωθεν μὲν φαίνεσθε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις δίκαιοι, ἔσωθεν δέ ἐστε μεστοὶ ὑποκρίσεως καὶ ἀνομίας. | |
29 A curse is on you, scribes and Pharisees, false ones! because you put up buildings for housing the dead bodies of the prophets, and make fair the last resting-places of good men, and say, | 29 οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί, ὅτι οἰκοδομεῖτε τοὺς τάφους τῶν προφητῶν καὶ κοσμεῖτε τὰ μνημεῖα τῶν δικαίων, | |
30 If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in the blood of the prophets. | 30 καὶ λέγετε, εἰ ἤμεθα ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, οὐκ ἂν ἤμεθα αὐτῶν κοινωνοὶ ἐν τῶ αἵματι τῶν προφητῶν. | |
31 So that you are witnesses against yourselves that you are the sons of those who put the prophets to death. | 31 ὥστε μαρτυρεῖτε ἑαυτοῖς ὅτι υἱοί ἐστε τῶν φονευσάντων τοὺς προφήτας. | |
32 Make full, then, the measure of your fathers. | 32 καὶ ὑμεῖς πληρώσατε τὸ μέτρον τῶν πατέρων ὑμῶν. | |
33 You snakes, offspring of snakes, how will you be kept from the punishment of hell? | 33 ὄφεις γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, πῶς φύγητε ἀπὸ τῆς κρίσεως τῆς γεέννης; | |
34 For this reason, I send you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them you will put to death and put on the cross, and to some of them you will give blows in your Synagogues, driving them from town to town; | 34 διὰ τοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω πρὸς ὑμᾶς προφήτας καὶ σοφοὺς καὶ γραμματεῖς· ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀποκτενεῖτε καὶ σταυρώσετε, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν μαστιγώσετε ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς ὑμῶν καὶ διώξετε ἀπὸ πόλεως εἰς πόλιν· | |
35 So that on you may come all the blood of the upright on the earth, from the blood of upright Abel to the blood of Zachariah, son of Barachiah, whom you put to death between the Temple and the altar. | 35 ὅπως ἔλθῃ ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς πᾶν αἷμα δίκαιον ἐκχυννόμενον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος ἅβελ τοῦ δικαίου ἕως τοῦ αἵματος ζαχαρίου υἱοῦ βαραχίου, ὃν ἐφονεύσατε μεταξὺ τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου. | |
36 Truly I say to you, All these things will come on this generation. | 36 ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἥξει ταῦτα πάντα ἐπὶ τὴν γενεὰν ταύτην. | |
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, putting to death the prophets, and stoning those who are sent to her! Again and again would I have taken your children to myself as a bird takes her young ones under her wings, and you would not! | 37 ἰερουσαλὴμ ἰερουσαλήμ, ἡ ἀποκτείνουσα τοὺς προφήτας καὶ λιθοβολοῦσα τοὺς ἀπεσταλμένους πρὸς αὐτήν, ποσάκις ἠθέλησα ἐπισυναγαγεῖν τὰ τέκνα σου, ὃν τρόπον ὄρνις ἐπισυνάγει τὰ νοσσία αὐτῆς ὑπὸ τὰς πτέρυγας, καὶ οὐκ ἠθελήσατε. | |
38 See, your house is made waste. | 38 ἰδοὺ ἀφίεται ὑμῖν ὁ οἶκος ὑμῶν ἔρημος. | |
39 For I say to you, You will not see me from this time till you say, A blessing on him who comes in the name of the Lord. | 39 λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν, οὐ μή με ἴδητε ἀπ᾽ ἄρτι ἕως ἂν εἴπητε, εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου. | |
Chapter 22 Bible Contents Chapter 24
Other chapters in Matthew: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Genres: Law History Wisdom Prophets Gospels Acts Epistles Apocalyptic
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Cover image by Freedom Studio / Shutterstock Koine Greek audio (in modern Greek pronunciation) narrated by Theo Karvounakis..