Matthew 23:16–39

¹⁶“Woe to you, blind guides, ^hwho say, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the sanctuary, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath ⁱby the gold of the sanctuary is bound by his oath.’ ^j17Blind fools! ^kFor which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that sanctified the gold? ¹⁸Also, ‘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.’ ^l19Blind people! ^mFor which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? ⁿ²⁰Therefore, the one who takes an oath by the altar takes an oath by it and by everything on it. ²¹The one who takes an oath by the sanctuary takes an oath by it and by Him who dwells ^oin it. ²²And the one who takes an oath by heaven takes an oath by God’s throne ^pand by Him who sits on it. ^q

²³“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of ^rmint, dill, and cumin, ^syet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, ^tmercy, and faith. These things should have been done without neglecting the others. ²⁴Blind guides! ^uYou strain out a gnat, yet gulp down a camel!

²⁵“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You ^•clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed ^vand self-indulgence! ^w26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, ^xso the outside of it ^ymay also become clean.

²⁷“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, ^zwhich appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every impurity. ²⁸In 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 monuments of the righteous, ³⁰and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we wouldn’t have taken part with them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ ^a31You, therefore, testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³²Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ sins! ^bc

³³“Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell? ^de34This is why I am sending you prophets, ^fsages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues ^gand hound from town to town. ³⁵So all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be charged to you, ^hfrom the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, ⁱson of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. ^j36•I assure you: All these things will come on this generation! ^k

Jesus’ Lamentation over Jerusalem

³⁷“Jerusalem, Jerusalem! ^lShe who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks ^munder her wings, yet you were not willing! ⁿ³⁸See, your house is left to you desolate. ^o39For I tell you, you will never see Me again until you say, ‘He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One’!” ^pq