Matthew 23 (TBX)

1Woyom Yesu neil wou xel qendu ngandoung on is e xe xel betiyeing,Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples:

2“Xel putoung wei petieing me xel Parisi eno mindei lek Mose xe sia.“The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.

3Om xam a mi betiwou xel me ghe bong lul dalus wei xel neil wou xam o. Ekom xam seng bong vati wei xel wong o, en nambei xel se mi wong e teyei lek vati wei xel mi teyoxe yo.So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.

4Xel tup nimaying ngandoung me toung lek xel xomaxoneing on ghandiwek, ekom xel venaxow se teyei bei zeim lek angya memend deyis bei bong ena veil.They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

5“Lul sapa wei xel mi wong en embei xel xomaxoneing gyei, me lek xel dambend me memend eno xel mi tup deneing wei xoulek o lek me e wo myasapa, me mi tup yis ding lek xel xe teimb ding myasepu.All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.

6Xel laleind mi vind bei na mi mendei mya eivek bouk wei mata ngandoung o me eivek xomek qekueing ama lalei.They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,

7Xel laleind mi vind bei moux alis vex a mi neil bendiyeing wou xel eivek beyeeng vateivek me na mi taxe e bei ‘Putoung.’the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed.

8“Ekom xam eno xel se taxe xam ‘Putoung,’ en xam xe putoung tixemou tateis me xam dalus on limim ama.But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.

9De xam se taxe xelti lek tembuing bei ‘mang,’ en xam Mamim tixemou, me e toundei eivek tyoung gheyapu nei.And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.

10O xel ti se taxe xam ‘putoung,’ en xam xe putoung tixemou, inyon Kilisi.Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ.

11Xam xe teiv eivek xam senghoing eno e mi mendei nambei xam xe xukxe.The greatest among you shall be your servant.

12En wangwei eti yeiw embei sanghoxe xow on tyek e lei detei eivek, de eti embei beoux xow on tyek e lei zekna.For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13“Xam putoung wei petieing me xam Parisiyeiw, xam ghe gwaleeng amim, xam wei myamim yuw o! Xam on ghe mi toung xomek mya wei tete lalei wei tyoung gheyapu nei yo zeyi moux alis vex mend. Xam venaxow seng la eivek, me xam ghe mi nale zeyi xel wei di wong me yei en embei na eivek o.Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.

14Xam putoung wei petieing me xam Parisiyeiw, xam ghe gwaleeng amim, xam wei myamim yuw o, en xam ghe mi wo nol wou xel vexeiv bend, me xam ghe mi tyoing lek me ghe mi zeimemam ding, nambei nyon tyek xam a qou myaveweeng ngandoung.Not in the BSB

15“Xam putoung wei petieing me xam Parisiyeiw, xam ghe gwaleeng amim, xam wei myamim yuw o! Xam ghe mi ghavineeng lek tembuing me mamileeng being bong tambiy tixemou bo betiyeing wei xam o, me gyeik e wong ambei betiyeing ti, eno xam ghe mi wong moux on la eivek nilul ngandoung eno ghanaw veil eivek nenyex wei luta yo nambei xam venaxow.Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

16“Xam wei matekeing ambei talex sakwaing wou xomaxoneing bamba eno xam ghe gwaleeng amim. Xam ghe mi neimbei, ‘Wangwei tambiy ti na neil zonghek is inyapunei lek xomek vambuing, ond inyon se byexaxoun qayeeng. Ekom wangwei e neil zonghek is inyapunei lek ghol wei xomek vambuing o, ond inyon byexaxoun qayeeng.’Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’

17Xam on bandol me mamim tekeing! Tina inye ngandoung, ghol o xomek vambuing wei wong ghol wo vambuing o?You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred?

18Xam ghe mi neil is ambei nyon bei, ‘Wangwei xelti e neil zonghek lek qeind is inyapunei ond inyon se byexaxoun qayeeng, ekom wangwei xelti neil zonghek is inyapunei lei lek xound wei toundei lek qeind, ond inyon byexaxoun qayeeng.’And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’

19Xam moux wei mamim tekeing o. Tina inye ngandoung, xound o qeind wei wong xound on wo vambuing o?You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred?

20Nambei inyon, tambiy tiwei neil zonghek is inyapunei lei lek qeind on neil zonghek is inyapunei lei lek lulul dalus wei toundei lek o.So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.

21Me tiwei mi neil zonghek is inyapunei lei lek xomek vambuing eno neil lek tiwei mindei eivek o.And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it.

22Me eti neil zonghek is inyapunei lei lek tyoung gheyapu eno neil lek Anutu xe siaking me tiwei mindei lek o.And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it.

23“Xam putoung wei petieing me Parisiyeiw, xam ghe gwaleeng amim, xam wei myamim yuw o! Xam ghe wong ti eivek xoumeeng wei lul senyeing wei xuk lalei. Ekom xam ghe saing qayeeng ngandoung dalus wei petieing o veil, nambei qayeeng bombek, lalei pyaweing me wongeingis. Xam betiwou qayeeng ngandoung wei petieing ne yo dom xam naleimim se ma petieing bamba.Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

24Xam wei mamim tekeing wei ghe mi talex sakwaing! Xam ghe mi tiy mamayek veil xam xe louk, ekom xam ghe lep kamel.You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

25“Xam putoung wei petieing me Parisiyeiw, xam ghe gwaleeng amim, xam wei myamim yuw o! Xam ghe mi sekweyexe mayamya me dipek demi, ekom eivek lalei eno pup en kwa eivekeing me ghe mi wou kwamim ngenong en lulul leimalei.Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

26Xam Parisiyeiw wei mamim tekeing o! Myaxeeng eno xam sekweyexe mayamya me dipek lalei bole, dekakom demi embo vako is.Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.

27“Xam putoung wei petieing me Parisiyeiw, xam ghe gwaleeng amim, xam wei myamim yuw o! Xam on nambei leiveeng meyeing wei xel pelei pen teleing lek o, wei wo nimza maseim lek demi yo, ekom lalei yon pup en xel meyeing kanzek me lul dalus wei nilaxes o.Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity.

28Xam is ambei nyon eivek sakwaing kayon, eno xel mi yei xam lek demi om xel embeik nge xam on bombek, ekom xam laleimim on pup en kwa wei tyonyeing me kwa wei pyaweing lek qayeeng o.In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

29“Xam putoung wei petieing me Parisiyeiw, xam ghe gwaleeng amim, xam wei myamim yuw o! Xam ghe ev leiveeng meyeing en xel poropetyeiw me ghe vunekwou leiveeng wei xel bombek o.Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.

30Me xam ghe neil, ‘Wangwei xa mendei eivek bouk wei xa bumiyeiw, tyek xa se teyei bei devind xel me na nyeis xel poropet a mey.’And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’

31Om xam venaxow ghe talex lek xow bei xam on neumambu wei xel wei leis poropetyeiw mey o.So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets.

32Woyom xam la wong sewokeing teyei lek ingwei bumyeiw mi wong o.Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers.

33“Xam on myeiy me myeiy nilul neuyeiw xam! Tyek xam a pek veil myaveweeng wei nenyex luta yon nambei nya?You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell?

34Nambei nyon tyek a bong xel poropetyeiw me xel wei lundpeyei nimza me xel putoung wei petieing o nak wou xam. Xel valu tyek xam ghe nyeis xel a mey dom na tuw valu lek xax pepeeng, de xel valu tyek xam ghe bo nol wou xel eivek xomek qekueing ama me na tiy xel na beyeeng nge me na nge.Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town.

35Om nambei nyon, xel dalus bombek gyand wei xel leis xel mey lek tembuing eno tyek mendei lek xam, qandi eivek Abel wei bombek o tax me e na Belekia neu moux Sakalias, tiwei xam ghe leis e mey eivek xomek vambuing me qeind senghoing o.And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

36A neil wou xam zonghek, lul nimaying dalus tine tyek nam lek xam qendu ti gweimbeeng ne dalus.Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.

37“O Yerusalem, Yerusalem, xam eti yeiw wei ghe mi leis xel poropetyeiw me ghe nex xel wei lak wou xam en qakous. Taxombouk eno ambei mi qeku xam neumimyeiw lekti, nambei qouklex mi qekuwou neuyeiw eivek banis xeinghembi yo, ekom xam laleimim se vind.O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

38Wei, xam xe xomek tyek lelolexe me mendei bandaing.Look, your house is left to you desolate.

39En a neil wou xam bei, tyek xam seng nox gwei a no qe ka xam a neimbei, ‘Mata ena wou e tiwei lam eivek Tambiy Ngandoung lei yo.’ ”For I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Matthew 23

You’ve read Matthew 23

Go deeper

Matthew 23

You’ve read Matthew 23

Go deeper