Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees

1 ^vThen Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on ^wMoses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,¹ and lay them on people’s shoulders, but ^xthey themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be ^yseen by others. For they make their ^zphylacteries broad and their ^afringes long, 6 and they love the ^bplace of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and ^cgreetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi² by others. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.³ 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have ^done Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 ^eThe greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 ^fWhoever exalts himself will be humbled, and ^gwhoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, ^hhypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither ⁱenter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.⁴ 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell⁵ as yourselves.

16 “Woe to you, ^jblind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is ^kbound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar ^lthat makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by ^mhim who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by ⁿheaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you ^otithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the ^pweightier matters of the law: ^qjustice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of ^rgreed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like ^swhitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all ^tuncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in ^ushedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 ^vFill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you ^wbrood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your ^xsynagogues and ^ypersecute from town to town, 35 so that ^zon you may come all the ^arighteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous ^bAbel to the blood of ^cZechariah the son of Barachiah,⁶ whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Beware of the Scribes

38 ^vAnd in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like ^wgreetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the ^xbest seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who ^ydevour widows’ houses and for a ^zpretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Beware of the Scribes

45 ^oAnd in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love ^pgreetings in the marketplaces and the ^qbest seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 47 who ^rdevour widows’ houses and for a ^spretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”