Matthew 23:12-14

EasyEnglish Bible

¹² Some people lift themselves up to be important. But God will bring them down low. Other people are humble. God will lift up those people to a good place.’

Jesus speaks against the teachers of God's Law and the Pharisees

¹³ Jesus spoke to the teachers of God's Law and the Pharisees. ‘It will be very bad for you,’ he said. ‘You are hypocrites! You have stopped people who wanted to go into the kingdom of heaven. It is like you have shut the door so that they cannot go in. Then you yourselves do not even go in.

¹⁴ [It will be very bad for you, teachers of God's Law and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! You take things away from women after their husbands have died. You pray for a long time so that other people will praise you. God will punish you much more than other people.]^[a]