Study Desk

As the crowds were increasing, He began saying: "This generation^(aw) is an evil generation.^(ax) It demands a sign,^(ay) but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. ^[s](az)

For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so also the Son of Man^(ba) will be to this generation.

The queen of the south^(bb) will rise up at the judgment^(bc) with the men of this generation and condemn^(bd) them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon,^(be) and look—something greater than Solomon is here!

The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah's proclamation, and look—something greater than Jonah is here!

"No^(bf) one lights a lamp^(bg) and puts it in the cellar or under a basket,^[t] but on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see its light.

Your eye is the lamp of the body.^(bh) When your eye is good, your whole body is also full of light. But when it is bad,^(bi) your body is also full of darkness.

Take care then, that the light in you is not darkness.

If, therefore, your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be entirely illuminated, as when a lamp shines its light on you." ^[u]

As He was speaking, a Pharisee^(bj) asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and reclined at the table.

When the Pharisee saw this, he was amazed that He did not first perform the ritual washing^[v](bk) before dinner.^(bl)

But the Lord said to him: "Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed^(bm) and evil.^(bn)

Fools!^(bo) Didn't He who made the outside make the inside too?

But give from what is within to the poor,^[w](bp) and then everything is clean^(bq) for you.

"But woe^(br) to you Pharisees! You give a tenth ^[x](bs) of mint, rue, and every kind of herb, and you bypass^[y] justice^(bt) and love for God. ^[z](bu) These things you should have done without neglecting the others.

"Woe to you Pharisees! You love the front seat^(bv) in the synagogues^(bw) and greetings in the marketplaces.

"Woe to you!^[aa] You are like unmarked graves;^(bx) the people who walk over them don't know it."

One of the experts in the law^(by) answered Him, "Teacher, when You say these things You insult us too."

Then He said: "Woe also to you experts in the law! You load people with burdens^(bz) that are hard to carry, yet you yourselves don't touch these burdens with one of your fingers. ^(ca)

"Woe to you! You build monuments^[ab] to the prophets,^(cb) and your fathers killed^(cc) them.

Therefore, you are witnesses^(cd) that you approve ^[ac](ce) the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their monuments.^[ad]

Because of this, the wisdom of God^(cf) said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles,^(cg) and some of them they will kill and persecute,'^(ch)

so that this generation^(ci) may be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world ^[ae](cj) —

from the blood of Abel^(ck) to the blood of Zechariah,^(cl) who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. "Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible. ^[af]

"Woe to you experts in the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge!^(cm) You didn't go in yourselves, and you hindered^(cn) those who were going in."

When He left there,^[ag] the scribes and the Pharisees began to oppose^(co) Him fiercely and to cross-examine Him about many things;

they were lying in wait^(cp) for Him to trap Him in something He said.^[ah](cq)