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Religious Hypocrites Denounced

¹ Then^(C1) Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples:^{(C2) 2} “The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses.³ Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don’t do what they do, because they don’t practice what they teach.⁴ They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry⁵ They do everything⁶ They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues,⁷ 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,⁹ Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven.¹⁰ You are not to be called instructors either, because you have one Instructor, the Messiah.¹¹ The greatest among you will be your servant.¹² Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

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.

[¹⁴ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows' houses and make long prayers just for show.^[j] This is why you will receive a harsher punishment.]^[k]

¹⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one convert,

¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides,¹⁷ 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!²⁰ 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 dwells²² And the one who takes an oath by heaven takes an oath by God’s throne

²³ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of²⁴ Blind guides!

²⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed²⁶ Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,

²⁷ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,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!

³³ “Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell?³⁴ This is why I am sending you prophets,³⁵ So all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be charged to you,³⁶ Truly I tell you, all these things will come on this generation.

Jesus’s Lamenting over Jerusalem

³⁷ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem,³⁸ See, your house is left to you desolate.³⁹ For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say,’ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’!”