A Warning Against Doing Things for the Wrong Reasons
1Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples. 2“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat,” he said. 3“So you must be careful to do everything they say. But don’t do what they do. They don’t practice what they preach. 4They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry. Then they put them on other people’s shoulders. But they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them.
5“Everything they do is done for others to see. On their foreheads and arms they wear little boxes that hold Scripture verses. They make the boxes very wide. And they make the tassels on their coats very long. 6They love to sit down in the place of honor at dinners. They also love to have the most important seats in the synagogues. 7They love to be greeted with respect in the markets. They love it when people call them ‘Rabbi.’
8“But you shouldn’t be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have only one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9Do not call anyone on earth ‘father.’ You have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10You shouldn’t be called ‘teacher.’ You have one Teacher, and he is the Messiah. 11The most important person among you will be your servant. 12People who lift themselves up will be made humble. And people who make themselves humble will be lifted up.
How Terrible for the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees
13-14“How terrible it will be for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter. And you will not let those enter who are trying to.
15“How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You travel everywhere to win one person to your faith. Then you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.
16“How terrible for you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone makes a promise in the name of the temple, it means nothing. But anyone who makes a promise in the name of the gold of the temple must keep that promise.’ 17You are blind and foolish! Which is more important? Is it the gold? Or is it the temple that makes the gold holy? 18You also say, ‘If anyone makes a promise in the name of the altar, it means nothing. But anyone who makes a promise in the name of the gift on the altar must keep that promise.’ 19You are blind! Which is more important? Is it the gift? Or is it the altar that makes the gift holy? 20So anyone making a promise in the name of the altar makes a promise in the name of it and everything on it. 21And anyone making a promise in the name of the temple makes a promise in the name of it and the one who lives in it. 22And anyone making a promise in the name of heaven makes a promise in the name of God’s throne and the one who sits on it.
23“How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You give God a tenth of your spices, like mint, dill and cumin. But you have not practiced the more important things of the law, which are fairness, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the last things without failing to do the first. 24You blind guides! You remove the smallest insect from your food. But you swallow a whole camel!
25“How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You clean the outside of a cup and dish. But on the inside you are full of greed. You only want to satisfy yourselves. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish. Then the outside will also be clean.
27“How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You are like tombs that are painted white. They look beautiful on the outside. But on the inside they are full of the bones of the dead. They are also full of other things that are not pure and ‘clean.’ 28It is the same with you. On the outside you seem to be doing what is right. But on the inside you are full of what is wrong. You pretend to be what you are not.
29“How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You build tombs for the prophets. You decorate the graves of the godly. 30And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of those who lived before us, we wouldn’t have done what they did. We wouldn’t have helped to kill the prophets.’ 31So you are witnesses against yourselves. You admit that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets. 32So go ahead and finish the sins that those who lived before you started!
33“You nest of poisonous snakes! How will you escape from being sentenced to hell? 34So I am sending you prophets, wise people, and teachers. You will kill some of them. You will nail some to a cross. Others you will whip in your synagogues. You will chase them from town to town. 35So you will pay for all the godly people’s blood spilled on earth. I mean from the blood of godly Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berekiah. Zechariah was the one you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36What I’m about to tell you is true. All this will happen to those who are now living.
37“Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and throw stones in order to kill those who are sent to you. Many times I have wanted to gather your people together. I have wanted to be like a hen who gathers her chicks under her wings. And you would not let me! 38Look, your house is left empty. 39I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ” (Psalm 118:26)
Yesu Adzudzula Aphunzitsi Amalamulo ndi Afarisi
1Pamenepo Yesu anati kwa magulu a anthu ndi ophunzira ake: 2“Aphunzitsi amalamulo ndi Afarisi amakhala pa mpando wa Mose. 3Choncho muziwamvera ndi kuchita chilichonse chimene akuwuzani. Koma musachite zimene amachita, popeza sachita zimene amaphunzitsa. 4Amamanga akatundu olemera nawayika pa mapewa a anthu, koma iwo eni safuna kuwanyamula.
5“Ntchito zawo amachita ndi cholinga chakuti anthu awaone. Amadzimangirira timaphukusi tikulutikulu ta Mawu a Mulungu pa mphumi ndi pa mkono komanso amatalikitsa mphonje za mikanjo yawo. 6Amakonda malo aulemu pa maphwando ndi malo ofunika kwambiri mʼmasunagoge. 7Amakondwera ndi kupatsidwa moni mʼmisika ndi kutchulidwa kuti ‘Aphunzitsi.’
8“Koma inu simuyenera kutchulidwa ‘Aphunzitsi,’ popeza muli naye Mbuye mmodzi ndipo inu nonse ndinu abale. 9Ndipo musamatchule wina aliyense pansi pano kuti ‘Atate,’ pakuti muli ndi Atate mmodzi, ndipo ali kumwamba. 10Komanso musamatchedwenso ‘Mtsogoleri,’ pakuti muli naye Mtsogoleri mmodzi amene ndi Khristu. 11Wamkulu pakati panu adzakhala wokutumikirani. 12Pakuti aliyense amene adzikuza adzachepetsedwa, ndipo aliyense amene adzichepetsa adzakuzidwa.
Tsoka kwa Aphunzitsi Amalamulo ndi Afarisi
13“Tsoka kwa inu aphunzitsi amalamulo ndi Afarisi achiphamaso! Mumatseka pa khomo la kumwamba kuti anthu asalowemo. Eni akenu simulowamo komanso simulola kuti ena amene akufuna kulowa kuti alowe. 14Muli ndi tsoka, inu aphunzitsi amalamulo ndi Afarisi, anthu achiphamaso! Mumawadyera akazi amasiye chuma chawo, kwinaku nʼkumanamizira kunena mapemphero ataliatali. Chifukwa cha zimenezi Mulungu adzakulangani koposa.
15“Tsoka kwa inu, aphunzitsi amalamulo ndi Afarisi, achiphamaso! Mumayenda maulendo ambiri pa mtunda ndi pa nyanja kuti mutembenuze munthu mmodzi, ndipo akatembenuka, mumamusandutsa kukhala mwana wa gehena kawiri kuposa inu.
16“Tsoka kwa inu, atsogoleri akhungu! Mumati, ‘Ngati wina alumbira kutchula Nyumba ya Mulungu, zilibe kanthu; koma ngati wina alumbira kutchula ndalama zagolide za mʼNyumbayo, wotere ayenera kusunga lumbiro lake.’ 17Inu akhungu opusa! Chopambana nʼchiyani: ndalama zagolide, kapena Nyumba imene imayeretsa golideyo? 18Ndiponso mumati, ‘Ngati wina alumbira kutchula guwa lansembe, sizitanthauza kanthu; koma ngati wina alumbira kutchula mphatso ya paguwa lansembe, wotere ayenera kusunga lumbiro lake.’ 19Inu anthu akhungu! Chopambana nʼchiyani: mphatso, kapena guwa limene limayeretsa mphatsoyo? 20Chifukwa chake, iye amene alumbira kutchula guwa alumbira pa ilo ndi pa chilichonse chili pamenepo. 21Ndipo iye wolumbira potchula Nyumba ya Mulungu alumbira pa Nyumbayo ndi pa Iye amene amakhala mʼmenemo. 22Ndipo iye wolumbira kutchula kumwamba alumbira kutchula mpando waufumu wa Mulungu ndi pa Iye wokhalapo.
23“Tsoka kwa inu, aphunzitsi amalamulo ndi Afarisi, achiphamaso! Mumapereka chakhumi cha timbewu tonunkhira ndi cha timbewu tokometsera chakudya. Koma mwasiya zofunikira kwambiri za mʼmalamulo monga chilungamo, chifundo ndi kukhulupirika. Muyenera kuchita zomalizirazi komanso osasiya zoyambazo. 24Atsogoleri akhungu inu! Mumachotsa kantchentche mu chakumwa chanu koma mumameza ngamira.
25“Tsoka kwa inu, aphunzitsi amalamulo ndi Afarisi achiphamaso! Mumayeretsa kunja kwa chikho ndi mbale, koma mʼkatimo mwadzaza ndi dyera ndi kusadziretsa. 26Afarisi akhungu! Poyamba tsukani mʼkati mwa chikho ndi mbale, ndipo kunja kwake kudzakhalanso koyera.
27“Tsoka kwa inu, aphunzitsi amalamulo ndi Afarisi, achiphamaso! Muli ngati ziliza pa manda zowala kunja zimene zimaoneka zokongola koma mʼkatimo mwadzaza mafupa a anthu akufa ndi zonyansa zina zonse. 28Chimodzimodzinso, kunja mumaoneka kwa anthu kuti ndinu olungama koma mʼkatimo ndinu odzaza ndi chinyengo ndi zoyipa zina.
29“Tsoka kwa inu, aphunzitsi amalamulo ndi Afarisi, achiphamaso! Mumamanga ziliza za aneneri ndi kukongoletsa manda a olungama. 30Ndipo mumati, ‘Ngati tikanakhala mʼmasiku a makolo athu sitikanakhetsa nawo magazi a aneneri.’ 31Potero mukutsimikiza kuti muli ana a iwo amene anapha aneneri. 32Dzazani inu muyeso wa uchimo wa makolo anu!
33“Njoka inu! Ana amamba! Mudzachithawa bwanji chilango cha gehena? 34Choncho ndi kutumizirani aneneri ndi anthu anzeru ndi aphunzitsi. Ena a iwo mudzawapha ndi kuwapachika; ena mudzawakwapula mʼmasunagoge anu ndi kuwafunafuna kuchokera mudzi wina kufikira wina. 35Ndipo magazi onse a olungama amene anakhetsedwa pansi pano, kuyambira magazi a Abele, olungama kufikira Zakariya mwana wa Barakiya, amene munamupha pakati pa Nyumba ya Mulungu ndi guwa lansembe, adzakhala pa inu. 36Zoonadi, ndikuwuzani kuti zonsezi zidzafika pa mʼbado uno.
37“Haa! Yerusalemu, Yerusalemu, iwe amene umapha aneneri ndi kugenda miyala amene atumidwa kwa iwe, kawirikawiri ndimafuna kusonkhanitsa ana ako, monga nkhuku imasonkhanitsira ana ake pansi pa mapiko ake, koma iwe sunafune. 38Taona, nyumba yako yasiyidwa ya bwinja. 39Chifukwa chake ndikuwuza kuti simudzandionanso kufikira pamene mudzati, ‘Wodala Iye amene akudza mʼdzina la Ambuye.’ ”
