Matthew 23:16-24

16“Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’

17Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred?

18And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding.

19How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred?

20When you swear ‘by the altar,’ you are swearing by it and by everything on it.

21And when you swear ‘by the Temple,’ you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it.

22And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne.

23“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

24Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!