Matthew 23 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his students:

"The religious scholars and Pharisees have seated themselves in Moses' chair of authority.

So do whatever they tell you and follow it. But don't follow their example — because they don't practice what they teach.

They tie up heavy, crushing loads and pile them on people's shoulders, but they themselves won't lift a finger to move them.

Everything they do is for show. They make their scripture boxes extra wide and their prayer tassels extra long.

They love the best seats at banquets, the front rows in the synagogues,

respectful greetings in the marketplaces, and having everyone call them 'Rabbi.'

But you — don't let anyone call you 'Rabbi,' because you have one Teacher, and you are all equals.

And don't call anyone on earth 'Father' as a title — because you have one Father, and he is in heaven.

And don't let anyone call you 'Leader' either — because you have one Leader, The One.

The greatest among you will be your servant.

Anyone who promotes themselves will be brought low, and anyone who humbles themselves will be lifted up.

How terrible for you, religious scholars and Pharisees — you fakers! You slam the door to God's kingdom in people's faces. You don't go in yourselves, and you won't let anyone else in either.

How terrible for you, religious scholars and Pharisees — you fakers! You devour widows' houses and then make a show of saying long prayers. Because of this, your judgment will be even more severe.

How terrible for you, religious scholars and Pharisees — you fakers! You cross land and sea to win a single convert, and when you do, you turn them into twice the child of destruction that you are.

How terrible for you, blind guides! You say, 'If someone swears by the temple, it means nothing. But if someone swears by the gold of the temple, they're bound by their oath.'

You blind fools! Which matters more — the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?

And you say, 'If someone swears by the altar, it means nothing. But if someone swears by the offering on the altar, they're bound by their oath.'

How blind you are! Which matters more — the offering, or the altar that makes the offering sacred?

So when someone swears by the altar, they're swearing by it and by everything on it.

And when someone swears by the temple, they're swearing by it and by the One who lives in it.

And when someone swears by heaven, they're swearing by the throne of God and by the One who sits on it.

How terrible for you, religious scholars and Pharisees — you fakers! You carefully give God a tenth of your mint, dill, and cumin, but you've completely ignored the things in the Law that actually matter — justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have done those things without neglecting the others.

Blind guides! You strain a gnat out of your drink but swallow a whole camel.

How terrible for you, religious scholars and Pharisees — you fakers! You scrub the outside of the cup and plate until they shine, but inside they're overflowing with greed and self-indulgence.

Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, and then the outside will be clean too.

How terrible for you, religious scholars and Pharisees — you fakers! You're like whitewashed tombs — they look beautiful on the outside, but inside they're full of dead bones and everything rotten.

That's exactly what you're like. On the outside you look upright to everyone, but on the inside you're full of fakery and corruption.

How terrible for you, religious scholars and Pharisees — you fakers! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the good people who came before you,

and you say, 'If we had lived in our ancestors' time, we would never have helped murder the prophets.'

So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

Go ahead then — finish what your ancestors started!

You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to destruction?

Because of this, look — I'm sending you prophets and wise people and teachers. Some of them you will kill and nail to execution stakes. Others you will whip in your synagogues and hunt from town to town.

As a result, you will be held accountable for the blood of every innocent person murdered on earth — from the blood of innocent Abel all the way to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

I'm telling you the truth: all of this will come crashing down on this generation.

Jerusalem, Jerusalem — you who kill the prophets and throw stones at those sent to you! How many times I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings — but you refused.

Look — your house is left to you abandoned and empty.

Because I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'What a gift — the one who comes in the name of Yahweh!'