Jesus Warns Against False Teachers
Seven times Jesus says woe to teachers who load others down, scrub the outside of the cup, and decorate the tombs of prophets their fathers killed — though they have one Father only, in heaven. It ends in grief over Jerusalem, a city that refused, a house left desolate.
23 1Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples,
2saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat.
3"So do and keep whatever they tell you, but not what they do—they preach, but don't do. 4They tie up heavy, hard-to-carry loads and put them on people's shoulders, but they themselves won't lift a finger to move them. 5They do everything to be seen by others; they widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels, a a v5 Phylacteries: small leather boxes containing Scripture passages, strapped to the forehead and left arm during prayer. 6and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, 7and greetings in the marketplaces and being called 'Rabbi' by others. 8You must not be called 'Rabbi,' since you have only one teacher, and you're all brothers. 9And call no one on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10Don't let anyone call you 'instructor,' for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12Whoever raises himself will be humbled; whoever humbles himself will be raised.
13Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of our Father before people, neither entering yourselves nor letting in those trying to enter. b b v13 The earliest manuscripts do not have a verse 14 here; later copies add: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows' houses and for a show make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation."
15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make one convert, then make him twice the child of hell you are.
16Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'Swearing by the temple means nothing, but swearing by the temple's gold makes the oath binding.' 17Blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18And you say, 'Swearing by the altar is nothing, but swearing by its gift is binding.' 19You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who lives in it. 22And whoever swears by heaven swears by our Father's throne and by him who sits on it.
23Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You bring the tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet neglect the law's weightier matters—justice, mercy, faithfulness. These you should have done, without neglecting the others. 24You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
25Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the cup and dish outside, but inside they're full of greed and excess. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of cup and dish, so the outside is clean too.
27Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, appearing beautiful outside but full of dead people's bones and all impurity inside. 28So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30saying, 'Had we lived in our fathers' days, we would not have joined them in killing the prophets.' 31So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 34So I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scribes—some you will kill and crucify, some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35so that all righteous blood shed on earth may come upon you—from righteous Abel's blood to Zechariah son of Berekiah's, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem
37Jerusalem, Jerusalem—killing the prophets, stoning those sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you refused. 38Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39I tell you, you won't see me again till you say, 'Blessed is the one coming in our Father's name.'"
