Religious Hypocrites Denounced
1 Then 23:1–7 Mk 12:38–39; Lk 20:45–46 Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples: 23:1 Mt 10:42; 28:19; Lk 14:26; Jn 8:31; 13:35; 15:8; Ac 6:12 "The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses. 23:2 Ezr 7:6,25; Neh 8:43 Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don’t do what they do, because they don’t practice what they teach. 23:3 Mt 5:20; 15:3–9; Rm 2:17–234 They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry 23:4 Other mss omit that are hard to carryand put them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them. 23:4 Lk 11:46; Ac 15:10; Gl 6:135 They do everything 23:5 Lit do all their worksto be seen by others: They enlarge their phylacteries 23:5 Ex 13:9; Dt 6:8; 11:18; Mt 6:1,5,16and lengthen their tassels. 23:5 Other mss add on their robes, 23:5 Mt 9:20; 14:36; Mk 6:56; Lk 8:446 They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues, 23:6 Lk 11:43; 14:7; 20:467 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people.
8 "But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher, 23:8 Other mss add the Christand you are all brothers and sisters. 23:7–8 Mk 9:5; 10:51; Jn 1:38,49; 11:8; Jms 3:19 Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven. 23:9 Mal 1:6; Mt 6:9; 7:1110 You are not to be called instructors either, because you have one Instructor, the Messiah.11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 23:11 Mt 20:26–27; Mk 9:35; 3Jn 912 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. 23:12 Pr 29:23; Ezk 21:26; Lk 14:11; 18:14; Jms 4:6,10; 1Pt 5:5–6
13 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you don’t go in, and you don’t allow those entering to go in. 23:13 Some mss include v. 14: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows’ houses and make long prayers just for show. This is why you will receive a harsher punishment., 23:13 Mt 23:15,23,25; Lk 11:52
15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one convert, 23:15 Ac 2:11; 6:5; 13:43and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as you are!
16 "Woe to you, blind guides, 23:16 Mt 15:14; 23:24; Ac 1:16; Rm 2:19who say, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the temple, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath 23:16 Lv 19:12; Nm 30:2; Dt 23:21; Mt 5:33; 14:7; 26:63,72by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.’ 23:16 Lit is obligated, also in v. 1817 Blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?18 Also, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it means nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.’ 19 Blind people! 23:19 Other mss read Fools and blindFor which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 23:19 Ex 29:37; 30:2920 Therefore, the one who takes an oath by the altar takes an oath by it and by everything on it.21 The one who takes an oath by the temple takes an oath by it and by him who dwells 23:21 1Kg 8:13; 2Ch 6:2; Ps 26:8; 132:14in it.22 And the one who takes an oath by heaven takes an oath by God’s throne 23:22 Ex 17:16; Ps 11:4; Mt 5:34; Heb 8:1and by him who sits on it. 23:22 Ps 47:8; Mt 19:28; Rv 4:2
23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of 23:23 Or You tithemint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law — justice, 23:23 1Sm 15:22; Ps 33:5; Jr 5:1; Mc 6:8; Zch 7:9; Lk 11:42mercy, and faithfulness. 23:23 Or faithThese things should have been done without neglecting the others.24 Blind guides! 23:24 Mt 15:14; 23:16You strain out a gnat, but gulp down a camel!
25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed 23:25 Or full of violenceand self-indulgence. 23:25 Mk 7:4; Lk 11:3926 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, 23:26 Other mss add and dishso that the outside of it 23:26 Other mss read of themmay also become clean.
27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, 23:27 Lk 11:44; Ac 23:3which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity.28 In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous,30 and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we wouldn’t have taken part with them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.32 Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors’ sins! 23:31–32 Gn 15:16; Ac 7:51; 1Th 2:15–16
33 "Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell? 23:33 Lit escape from the judgment of gehenna, 23:33 Mt 3:7; 5:22; 12:3434 This is why I am sending you prophets, 23:34 Ac 13:1; 1Co 12:28sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues 23:34 2Ch 36:15–16; Mt 10:17; Ac 22:19and pursue from town to town.35 So all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be charged to you, 23:35 Lit will come on youfrom the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, 23:35 2Ch 24:21; Zch 1:1son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 23:35 Gn 4:8; Heb 11:4; 1Jn 3:12; Rv 18:2436 Truly I tell you, all these things will come on this generation. 23:36 Mt 10:23; 16:28; 24:34
Jesus’s Lamenting over Jerusalem
37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 23:37–39 Lk 13:34–35who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks 23:37 Or as a mother bird gathers her youngunder her wings, but you were not willing! 23:37 Dt 32:11–12; Ru 2:12; Mt 5:1238 See, your house is left to you desolate. 23:38 1Kg 9:7; Is 64:11; Jr 12:7; 22:539 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’! " 23:39 Ps 118:26; Mt 21:9, 23:39 Ps 118:26