Matthew 23:16-39

16“Woe to you, 1blind guides, who say, ‘2Whoever swears by the 3temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the 4temple is obligated.’ 17You fools and blind men! 5Which is 6more important, the gold or the 7temple that sanctified the gold? 18And you say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the 8offering that is on it is obligated.’ 19You blind men, 9which is 10more important, the 11offering or the altar that sanctifies the 12offering? 20Therefore, the one who swears by the altar, swears both by 13the altar and by everything on it. 21And the one who swears by the 14temple, swears both by 15the temple and by Him who 16dwells in it. 22And the one who swears by 17heaven, 18swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.

23“19Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and 20cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24You 21blind guides, who 22strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

25“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For 23you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full 24of robbery and self-indulgence. 26You blind Pharisee, first 25clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the 26outside of it may also become clean.

27“27Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28So you too, outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29“28Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30and you say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31So you testify against yourselves, that you 29are 30sons of those who murdered the prophets. 3231Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. 33You snakes, 32you 33offspring of vipers, how 34will you escape the 35sentence of 3637hell?

34“38Therefore, behold, 39I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will 40flog in your synagogues, and 41persecute from city to city, 35so that upon you will fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous 42Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the 43son of Berechiah, whom 44you murdered between the 45temple and the altar. 36Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon 46this generation.

37“47Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who 48kills the prophets and stones those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, 49the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38Behold, 50your house is being left to you desolate! 39For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘51Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!’”