Matthew 23

23 ¹Den Jesus tok give di crowd and give im disciples,

²im sey, “Di scribes and di Pharisees dey sidon for Moses seat.

³“So do and keep whatever dem tell una, but no do wetin dem dey do—dem dey preach, but dem no dey do am. ⁴Dem dey tie heavy load wey hard to carry, and put am for people shoulder, but dem no even wan lift one finger to move am. ⁵Everytin wey dem dey do na so people go fit see dem; dem dey make dia phylacteries wide, and dey make dia tassels long, ^a a v5 Phylacteries: small leather box wey dem put Scripture inside, wey dem dey strap for forehead and for left arm wen dem dey pray. ⁶and dem love di place of honour for feast, and di best seat for synagogue, ⁷and make people greet dem for market, and call dem ‘Rabbi.’ ⁸Dem no suppose call una ‘Rabbi,’ because una get only one teacher, and all of una na brothers. ⁹And no call anybody for dis earth your papa, because una get one Papa, wey dey for heaven. ¹⁰No make anybody call una ‘instructor,’ because una get one instructor, di Christ. ¹¹Di greatest among una go be una servant. ¹²Whoever raise imsef go come down; whoever bring imsef down go dey lifted up.

¹³Woe to una, scribes and Pharisees, una wey be hypocrite! Because una dey shut di kingdom of our Papa for people face, una nosef no dey enter, and una no dey let di ones wey wan enter, enter. ^b b v13 Di oldest manuscripts no get verse 14 for here; later copies add: “Woe to una, scribes and Pharisees, una wey be hypocrite! Una dey chop widow dem house finish, and to show face una dey make long prayer; na why una go receive bigger punishment.”

¹⁵Woe to una, scribes and Pharisees, una wey be hypocrite! Because una dey cross sea and land to make one person convert, den una make am pikin of hell two times pass una.

¹⁶Woe to una, blind guides! Una dey sey, ‘If person swear by di temple, e mean notin, but if person swear by di temple gold, di oath tie am.’ ¹⁷Una blind and foolish people! Wetin big pass: di gold, abi di temple wey make di gold holy? ¹⁸And una dey sey, ‘If person swear by di altar, e be notin, but if person swear by di gift wey dey on top am, e tie am.’ ¹⁹Una blind people! Because wetin big pass, di gift abi di altar wey make di gift holy? ²⁰So whoever swear by di altar, swear by am and by everytin wey dey on top am. ²¹And whoever swear by di temple, swear by am and by di One wey dey live inside am. ²²And whoever swear by heaven, swear by our Papa throne and by di One wey dey sidon on top am.

²³Woe to una, scribes and Pharisees, una wey be hypocrite! Una dey bring one-tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, but una leave di weightier tins for di law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Na dis ones una for do, without leaving di oda ones undone. ²⁴Una blind guides, una dey strain out small fly but una dey swallow camel!

²⁵Woe to una, scribes and Pharisees, una wey be hypocrite! Una dey clean di outside of di cup and di plate, but inside dem full of greed and too-muchness. ²⁶Blind Pharisee! First clean di inside of di cup and di plate, so dat di outside go clean too.

²⁷Woe to una, scribes and Pharisees, una wey be hypocrite! Una be like grave wey dem paint white, wey fine for outside but inside am full of dead people bone and all kind dirty tin. ²⁸Na so una too dey show like correct-and-holy people for outside, but inside una full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

²⁹Woe to una, scribes and Pharisees, una wey be hypocrite! Because una dey build grave for di prophets, and una dey decorate di monument of di correct-and-holy people, ³⁰una dey sey, ‘If we been dey alive for our fathers time, we for no join dem to kill di prophets.’ ³¹So una dey testify against unasef sey na una be di sons of di ones wey kill di prophets. ³²So make una fill up di measure of una fathers. ³³Una snakes, una children of viper, how una wan take escape di judgement wey go send una hell? ³⁴Na why I dey send una prophets, wise men, and scribes—some of dem una go kill and crucify, some una go flog for una synagogues and pursue from town to town, ³⁵so dat all di correct-and-holy blood wey dem shed for earth go come on una—from di blood of correct Abel go reach di blood of Zechariah pikin of Berekiah, wey una kill for between di sanctuary and di altar. ³⁶Truly, I dey tell una, all dis tins go come on dis generation.

Jesus Cry For Jerusalem

³⁷Jerusalem, Jerusalem—wey dey kill di prophets, wey dey stone di ones wey dem send give am! How many times I wan gather your children, like how hen dey gather her chicks under her wings, but una refuse. ³⁸See, dem don leave your house empty give you. ³⁹I dey tell una, una no go see me again until una sey, ‘Blessed na di One wey dey come for our Papa name.’”