1 E ntonces Jesús habló a la muchedumbre y a Sus discípulos:

Then Jesus talked to the many people and to His followers.

2 “ Los escribas y los Fariseos se han sentado en la cátedra de Moisés.

He said, “The teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers have put themselves in Moses’ place as teachers.

3 D e modo que hagan y observen todo lo que les digan; pero no hagan conforme a sus obras, porque ellos dicen y no hacen.

Do what they tell you to do and keep on doing it. But do not follow what they do. They preach but do not obey their own preaching.

4 A tan cargas pesadas y difíciles de llevar, y las ponen sobre las espaldas de los hombres, pero ellos ni con un dedo quieren moverlas.

They make heavy loads and put them on the shoulders of men. But they will not help lift them with a finger.

5 S ino que hacen todas sus obras para ser vistos por los hombres; pues agrandan sus distintivos religiosos (filacterias) y alargan los adornos (flecos) de sus mantos.

Everything they do, they do to be seen of men. They have words from the Holy Writings written in large letters on their left arm and forehead and they make wide trimming for their clothes.

6 A man el lugar de honor en los banquetes y los primeros asientos en las sinagogas,

They like to have the important places at big suppers and the best seats in the Jewish places of worship.

7 y los saludos respetuosos en las plazas y ser llamados por los hombres Rabí (Maestro).

They like to have people show respect to them as they stand in the center of town where people gather. They like to be called teacher.

8 P ero ustedes no dejen que los llamen Rabí; porque Uno es su Maestro y todos ustedes son hermanos.

“But you are not to be called teacher. There is only one Teacher, and all of you are brothers.

9 Y no llamen a nadie padre suyo en la tierra, porque Uno es su Padre, el que está en los cielos.

Do not call any man here on earth your father. There is only one Father and He is in heaven.

10 N i dejen que los llamen preceptores; porque Uno es su Preceptor, Cristo.

You are not to be called leader. There is only one Leader and He is Christ.

11 P ero el mayor de ustedes será su servidor.

“He who is greatest among you will be the one to care for you.

12 Y cualquiera que se engrandece, será humillado, y cualquiera que se humille, será engrandecido. Ocho Ayes contra los Escribas y Fariseos

The person who thinks he is important will find out how little he is worth. The person who is not trying to honor himself will be made important. Jesus Speaks Sharp Words to the Proud Religious Law-Keepers

13 “ Pero, ¡ay de ustedes, escribas y Fariseos, hipócritas que cierran el reino de los cielos delante de los hombres! Porque ni entran ustedes, ni dejan entrar a los que están entrando.

“It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You keep men from going into the holy nation of heaven. You are not going in yourselves, and you do not allow those to go in who are about to go in.

14 ¡ Ay de ustedes, escribas y Fariseos, hipócritas, que devoran las casas de las viudas, aun cuando por pretexto hacen largas oraciones! Por eso recibirán mayor condenación.

It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! (You take houses from poor women whose husbands have died. Then you try to cover it up by making long prayers. You will be punished all the more because of this.)

15 “ ¡Ay de ustedes, escribas y Fariseos, hipócritas, que recorren el mar y la tierra para hacer un prosélito, y cuando llega a serlo, lo hacen hijo del infierno dos veces más que ustedes!

It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You go over land and sea to win one follower. When you have him, you make him twice as much a child of hell as you are.

16 “ ¡Ay de ustedes, guías ciegos! Porque dicen: ‘No es nada si alguien jura por el templo; pero el que jura por el oro del templo, contrae obligación.’

“It is bad for you, blind leaders! You say, ‘Whoever makes a promise by the house of God, his promise is worth nothing. But whoever makes a promise by the gold of the house of God, then his promise has to be kept.’

17 ¡ Insensatos y ciegos! Porque ¿qué es más importante: el oro, o el templo que santificó el oro?

You fools and blind men! Which is greater, the gold or the house of God that makes the gold holy?

18 T ambién ustedes dicen: ‘No es nada si alguien jura por el altar; pero el que jura por la ofrenda que está sobre él, contrae obligación.’

You say, ‘Whoever will promise by the altar, his promise does not have to be kept. But whoever makes a promise by the gift on the altar, then his promise has to be kept.’

19 ¡ Ciegos! Porque ¿qué es más importante: la ofrenda, o el altar que santifica la ofrenda?

You fools and blind men! Which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift holy?

20 P or eso, el que jura por el altar, jura por él y por todo lo que está sobre él;

Whoever makes a promise by the altar, promises by it and by everything on it.

21 y el que jura por el templo, jura por él y por Aquél que en él habita;

Whoever makes a promise by the house of God, promises by it and by Him Who is in it.

22 y el que jura por el cielo, jura por el trono de Dios y por Aquél que está sentado en él.

Whoever makes a promise by heaven, promises by the throne of God and by Him Who sits there.

23 “ ¡Ay de ustedes, escribas y Fariseos, hipócritas que pagan el diezmo de la menta, del anís y del comino, y han descuidado los preceptos más importantes de la ley: la justicia, la misericordia y la fidelidad! Estas son las cosas que debían haber hecho, sin descuidar aquéllas.

“It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You give one-tenth part of your spices, and have not done the most important things of the Law, such as thinking what is right and wrong, and having pity and faith. These you should have done and still have done the other things also.

24 ¡ Guías ciegos, que cuelan el mosquito y se tragan el camello!

You blind leaders, you take a small bug out of your cup but you swallow a camel!

25 “ ¡Ay de ustedes, escribas y Fariseos, hipócritas, que limpian el exterior del vaso y del plato, pero por dentro están llenos de robo y de desenfreno!

“It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You clean the outside of the cup and plate, but leave the inside full of strong bad desires and are not able to keep from doing sinful things.

26 ¡ Fariseo ciego! Limpia primero lo de adentro del vaso y del plato, para que lo de afuera también quede limpio.

You blind proud religious law-keepers! Clean the inside of the cup and plate, then the outside will be clean also.

27 “ ¡Ay de ustedes, escribas y Fariseos, hipócritas que son semejantes a sepulcros blanqueados! Por fuera lucen hermosos, pero por dentro están llenos de huesos de muertos y de toda inmundicia.

“It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You are like graves that have been made white and look beautiful on the outside. But inside you are full of the bones of dead men and of every sinful thing.

28 A sí también ustedes, por fuera parecen justos a los hombres, pero por dentro están llenos de hipocresía y de iniquidad.

As men look at you, you seem to be good and right but inside you are full of sin. You pretend to be someone you are not.

29 “ ¡Ay de ustedes, escribas y Fariseos, hipócritas! Porque edifican los sepulcros de los profetas y adornan los monumentos de los justos,

“It is bad for you, teachers of the Law and proud religious law-keepers, you who pretend to be someone you are not! You make buildings for the graves of the early preachers, and you make the graves beautiful of those who are right with God.

30 y dicen: ‘Si nosotros hubiéramos vivido en los días de nuestros padres, no hubiéramos sido sus cómplices en derramar la sangre de los profetas.’

You say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our early fathers, we would not have helped kill the early preachers.’

31 A sí que dan testimonio en contra de ustedes mismos, que son hijos de los que asesinaron a los profetas.

In this way, you are showing that you are the sons of those who killed the early preachers.

32 ¡ Llenen, pues, la medida de la culpa (pecado) de sus padres (terminen, pues, su pecado)!

You might as well finish what your early fathers did.

33 ¡ Serpientes! ¡Camada de víboras! ¿Cómo escaparán del juicio del infierno ?

You snakes! You family of snakes! How can you be kept from hell?

34 P or tanto, miren, Yo les envío profetas, sabios y escribas. A algunos de ellos, ustedes los matarán y crucificarán, y a otros los azotarán en sus sinagogas y los perseguirán de ciudad en ciudad,

“Because of this, I am going to keep on sending to you men who speak for God and wise men and teachers of the Law. Some of them you will kill and nail to a cross. Some of them you will beat in your places of worship. You will make it very hard for them as they go from city to city.

35 p ara que recaiga sobre ustedes la culpa de toda la sangre justa derramada sobre la tierra, desde la sangre del justo Abel hasta la sangre de Zacarías, hijo de Berequías, a quien ustedes asesinaron entre el templo y el altar.

Because of this, you will be guilty of the blood of all those right with God on the earth. It will be from the blood of Abel who was right with God to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachias. He was the one you killed between the house of God and the altar.

36 E n verdad les digo que todo esto vendrá sobre esta generación. Lamentación sobre Jerusalén

For sure, I tell you, all these things will come on the people of this day. Jesus Sorrows Over Jerusalem

37 “ ¡ Jerusalén, Jerusalén, la que mata a los profetas y apedrea a los que son enviados a ella! ¡Cuántas veces quise juntar a tus hijos, como la gallina junta sus pollitos debajo de sus alas, y no quisiste!

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the men who speak for God and throw stones at those who were sent to you. How many times I wanted to gather your children around Me, as a chicken gathers her young ones under her wings. But you would not let Me.

38 P or tanto, la casa de ustedes se les deja desierta.

See! Your house is empty.

39 P orque les digo que desde ahora en adelante no Me verán más hasta que digan: ‘ Bendito Aquel que viene en el nombre del Señor.’”

I say to you, you will not see Me again until you will say, ‘Great is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!’”