Woes to Scribes and Pharisees
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples, 2 saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses’ seat. 3 In everything, therefore, whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but do not do what they do, for they speak indeed, but act not.
4 For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous to bear and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger to help them. 5 They do all their works to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad, enlarge the fringes of their garments, 6 and love the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 the greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.
8 But do not be called Rabbi, for only one is your Teacher: Christ, and you are all brothers. 9 And call no man on earth your father, for only one is your Father, who is in heaven. 10 Nor be called masters, for only one is your Master: Christ. 11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.
Matthew 23:13-39
Woes to Scribes and Pharisees
13 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you devour the homes of widows, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you close off the Kingdom of Heaven from men. You neither enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
16 Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18 ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated?’ 19 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar which sanctifies the gift? 20 He therefore, who swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who has been living in it. 22 He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it.
23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these and not to have left the other undone. 24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may be clean also.
27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like white washed tombs, which appear beautiful outwardly, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness. 28 In the same way, outwardly, you appear righteous to men, but within, you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous 30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ sins. 33 You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the damnation of hell?
34 Therefore I am sending prophets, wise men, and scribes to you. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city. 35 On you will be the blood of the righteous, shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.”
Lament over Jerusalem
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 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!’ ”