Matthew 23:26

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,

King James Version (1611)
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may bee cleane also.

King James Version
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

English Standard Version
You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

New American Standard Bible
"You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may also become clean.

New Century Version
Pharisees, you are blind! First make the inside of the cup clean, and then the outside of the cup can be truly clean.

Amplified Bible
"You [spiritually] blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate [examine and change your inner self to conform to God's precepts], so that the outside [your public life and deeds] may be clean also.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

Legacy Standard Bible
You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

Berean Standard Bible
Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.

Contemporary English Version
You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of a cup, and then the outside will also be clean.

Complete Jewish Bible
Blind Parush! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may be clean too.

Darby Translation
Blind Pharisee, make clean first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that their outside also may become clean.

Easy-to-Read Version
Pharisees, you are blind! First make the inside of the cup clean and good. Then the outside of the cup will also be clean.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Thou blinde Pharise, cleanse first the inside of the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be cleane also.

George Lamsa Translation
Blind Pharisees! clean first the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that their outside may also be clean.

Good News Translation
Blind Pharisee! Clean what is inside the cup first, and then the outside will be clean too!

Lexham English Bible
Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.

Literal Translation
Blind Pharisee! First cleanse the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside of them may become clean also.

American Standard Version
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean also.

Bible in Basic English
You blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside may become equally clean.

Hebrew Names Version
You blind Parush, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside of it may become clean also.

International Standard Version
You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,of the cup and the plate">[fn] so that its outside may also be clean.

Etheridge Translation
Sightless Pharishee ! cleanse first the inside of the cup and the dish, that their outside also may be clean.

Murdock Translation
Ye blind Pharisees, cleanse first the inside of the cup and dish, that their outside may be clean also.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thou blynde Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outsyde of them may be cleane also.

English Revised Version
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean also.

World English Bible
You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside of it may become clean also.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first, the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Weymouth's New Testament
Blind Pharisee, first wash clean the inside of the cup or dish, and then the outside will be clean also.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thou blynde Farisee, clense the cuppe and the plater with ynneforth, that that that is with outforth be maad clene.

Update Bible Version
You blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, that the outside thereof may become clean also.

Webster's Bible Translation
[Thou] blind Pharisee, cleanse first that [which is] within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

New English Translation
Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may become clean too!

New King James Version
Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

New Living Translation
You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.

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

New Revised Standard
You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may become clean.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Blind Pharisee! cleanse, first, the inside, of the cup and of the dish, that, the outside thereof, may become, clean.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside may become clean.

Revised Standard Version
You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Thou blinde Pharise clense fyrst the outsyde of the cup and platter that the ynneside of them maye be clene also.

Young's Literal Translation
`Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside of them also may become clean.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou blynde Pharise, clense first the in syde of the cuppe and platter, that the out syde maye be cleane also.

Mace New Testament (1729)
thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and plate, that the outside may be likewise clean.

Simplified Cowboy Version
If you'll get the inside clean the outside will follow!

Contextual Overview

¹³ "I've had it with you! You're hopeless, you religion scholars, you Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God's kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won't let anyone else in either. "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You go halfway around the world to make a convert, but once you get him you make him into a replica of yourselves, double-damned. "You're hopeless! What arrogant stupidity! You say, ‘If someone makes a promise with his fingers crossed, that's nothing; but if he swears with his hand on the Bible, that's serious.' What ignorance! Does the leather on the Bible carry more weight than the skin on your hands? And what about this piece of trivia: ‘If you shake hands on a promise, that's nothing; but if you raise your hand that God is your witness, that's serious'? What ridiculous hairsplitting! What difference does it make whether you shake hands or raise hands? A promise is a promise. What difference does it make if you make your promise inside or outside a house of worship? A promise is a promise. God is present, watching and holding you to account regardless. "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God's Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that's wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons? "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something. "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You're like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it's all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you're saints, but beneath the skin you're total frauds. "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You build granite tombs for your prophets and marble monuments for your saints. And you say that if you had lived in the days of your ancestors, no blood would have been on your hands. You protest too much! You're cut from the same cloth as those murderers, and daily add to the death count. "Snakes! Reptilian sneaks! Do you think you can worm your way out of this? Never have to pay the piper? It's on account of people like you that I send prophets and wise guides and scholars generation after generation—and generation after generation you treat them like dirt, greeting them with lynch mobs, hounding them with abuse. "You can't squirm out of this: Every drop of righteous blood ever spilled on this earth, beginning with the blood of that good man Abel right down to the blood of Zechariah, Barachiah's son, whom you murdered at his prayers, is on your head. All this, I'm telling you, is coming down on you, on your generation. "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets! Killer of the ones who brought you God's news! How often I've ached to embrace your children, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you wouldn't let me. And now you're so desolate, nothing but a ghost town. What is there left to say? Only this: I'm out of here soon. The next time you see me you'll say, ‘Oh, God has blessed him! He's come, bringing God's rule!'" ¹⁴Religious Fashion Shows Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. "The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God's Law. You won't go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don't live it. They don't take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It's all spit-and-polish veneer. "Instead of giving you God's Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn't think of lifting a finger to help. Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called ‘Doctor' and ‘Reverend.' "Don't let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don't set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of ‘Father'; you have only one Father, and he's in heaven. And don't let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them—Christ. "Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you'll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you're content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty. "I've had it with you! You're hopeless, you religion scholars, you Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God's kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won't let anyone else in either. ¹⁵ "You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You go halfway around the world to make a convert, but once you get him you make him into a replica of yourselves, double-damned. ¹⁶"You're hopeless! What arrogant stupidity! You say, ‘If someone makes a promise with his fingers crossed, that's nothing; but if he swears with his hand on the Bible, that's serious.' What ignorance! Does the leather on the Bible carry more weight than the skin on your hands? And what about this piece of trivia: ‘If you shake hands on a promise, that's nothing; but if you raise your hand that God is your witness, that's serious'? What ridiculous hairsplitting! What difference does it make whether you shake hands or raise hands? A promise is a promise. What difference does it make if you make your promise inside or outside a house of worship? A promise is a promise. God is present, watching and holding you to account regardless. ²³"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God's Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that's wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons? ²⁵"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something. ²⁷"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You're like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it's all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you're saints, but beneath the skin you're total frauds. ²⁹"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You build granite tombs for your prophets and marble monuments for your saints. And you say that if you had lived in the days of your ancestors, no blood would have been on your hands. You protest too much! You're cut from the same cloth as those murderers, and daily add to the death count. ³³"Snakes! Reptilian sneaks! Do you think you can worm your way out of this? Never have to pay the piper? It's on account of people like you that I send prophets and wise guides and scholars generation after generation—and generation after generation you treat them like dirt, greeting them with lynch mobs, hounding them with abuse.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

cleanse: Matthew 12:33, Isaiah 55:7, Jeremiah 4:14, Jeremiah 13:27, Ezekiel 18:31, Luke 6:45, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Hebrews 10:22, James 4:8

Reciprocal: Exodus 29:17 - wash the Numbers 8:7 - wash their Matthew 15:20 - but Matthew 23:16 - ye blind Matthew 25:3 - foolish Luke 11:40 - fools Luke 20:47 - for John 1:24 - were of 1 Peter 3:4 - the hidden

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thou blind Pharisee,.... Well might Christ call such an one a blind Pharisee, who was so scrupulously careful to cleanse his cup and platter; and yet made no conscience of filling them with what was gotten in an unjust way, and so defiled himself and them:

cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also: get food and drink in an honest way, remove all extortion and oppression out of thine hands, and luxury and intemperance from thy table; and so shall the outward cleanness of thy cup and dish, be no reproach unto thee, or testimony against thee, of thine hypocrisy. So the great concern of all men should be, inward purity; that their hearts be purified by faith in the blood of Christ, and sprinkled from an evil conscience by the same; that principles of grace and holiness be formed in them by the Spirit of God; and then their outward lives and conversations being influenced thereby, will be honourable and agreeable to their professions. Otherwise, an external reformation, or an outward show of holiness, and bare pretensions to it, without internal grace, will never be of any avail in the sight of God.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Cleanse first that which is within the cup and the platter - Let them be filled with the fruits of honest industry, and then the outside and the inside will be really “clean.” By this allusion to the cup and platter he taught them that it was necessary to cleanse the heart first, that the external conduct might be really pure and holy.