Modern Literal Version - Pre-Release 2012
[Matthew 23]

 ^23:1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, ^23:2 saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses. ^23:3 Therefore all things whatever they say for you^* to observe, do and observe these; but do not do them according to their works; for^* they say and do not do.^23:4 For^* they bind burdensome and unbearable loads and lay them on men's shoulders; but they are not willing to move them even with their finger. ^23:5 And they do all their works to be seen by men. And they enlarge their phylacteries and magnify the borders of their garments, ^23:6 and they love the foremost seats in the suppers and the foremost seats in the synagogues, ^23:7 and the greeting in the marketplaces and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi. ^23:8 But you^* are not called Rabbi; for^* only one is your^* leader, the Christ and all you^* are brethren. ^23:9 And do not callanyone your^* father on the earth; for^* only one is your^* Father, who is in heaven; ^23:10 nor be called leaders; for^* only one is your^* leader– the Christ. ^23:11 But the greatest of you^* will be your^*minister. ^23:12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will beexalted.

 ^23:13 _<F> Woe to you^*, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you^* devour widows' houses, even while you^* make long prayers for a pretense; because you^* will receive even-more condemnation.

 ^23:14 _<F> But woe to you^*, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you^* shut the kingdom of heaven before men can enter; for^* you^* do not enter in yourselves, nor do you^* allow those who are entering in to enter.

 ^23:15 Woe to you^*, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you^* go all around the sea andthe dry land to make one proselyte, and when he has become one, you^* make him twice as muchthe son of hell as you^* are yourselves.

 ^23:16 Woe to you^*, you^* blind guides, that say, Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated. ^23:17 You are foolish and blind; for^*which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? ^23:18 And, Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift which is on it, he is obligated. ^23:19 You arefoolish and blind; for^* which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? ^23:20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. ^23:21 And he who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it. ^23:22 And he who swears by the heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who is sitting on it.

 ^23:23 Woe to you^*, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you^* tithe mint and dill and cumin and have let go of the weighty things of the law: justice and mercy and faith. You^* ought to do these and not to have let go of those other things either. ^23:24 You^* blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!

 ^23:25 Woe to you^*, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you^* cleanse the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full from extortion and unrighteousness. ^23:26 You blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and the plate, that^* the outside of them may alsobecome clean.

 ^23:27 Woe to you^*, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you^* are similar to whitewashed burial chambers, which on the outside indeed appear beautiful, but inside are full of dead men's bones and full of all uncleanness. ^23:28 Even so on the outside you^* also appear righteous to men, but inside you^* are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

 ^23:29 Woe to you^*, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you^* build the burial chambers of the prophets and adorn the tombs of the righteous, ^23:30 and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partners with them in the blood of the prophets. ^23:31 So then you^* testify to yourselves, that you^* are sons of those who murdered the prophets. ^23:32 You^* fill up then the measure of your^* fathers. ^23:33 You^* serpents, you^* offspring of vipers, how will you^*escape from the judgement of hell? ^23:34 Therefore, behold, I send to you^* prophets and wise men and scribes and out of them you^* will kill and crucify, and some of them you^* will scourge in your^* synagogues and persecute from city to city: ^23:35 that upon you^* may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous {Gen. 4:8} to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you^* murdered between the temple and the altar. {2 Chr. 24:20-21 (?)} ^23:36Truly^* I say to you^*, All these things will come upon this generation.

 ^23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who have been sent to her! How many times I willed to have gathered your children together, in the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings and you^* did not will it! ^23:38 Behold, your^* house is left to you^*desolate; ^23:39 for^* I say to you^*, You^* will not see me from now on, until you^* will say, He who is coming in the name of the Lord is blessed. {Ps. 118:26}

{ Footnotes: Mt 23:13 & 23:14 are flipped in various translations. }

 
Modern Literal Version Pre Release Preface & Appendix , copyright 1987, 1999, 2012 by G. Allen Walker for the MLV New Testament Committee.
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