Woes to the Pharisees and Lawyers

37 While Jesus[a] was speaking, (A)a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see (B)that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, (C)“Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of (D)greed and wickedness. 40 (E)You fools! (F)Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But (G)give as alms those things that are within, and behold, (H)everything is clean for you.

42 (I)“But woe to you Pharisees! For (J)you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect (K)justice and (L)the love of God. (M)These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For (N)you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you! (O)For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”

45 One of (P)the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” 46 And he said, “Woe to you (Q)lawyers also! For (R)you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 (S)Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. 48 (T)So you are witnesses and you (U)consent to the deeds of (V)your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore also (W)the Wisdom of God said, (X)‘I will send them (Y)prophets and apostles, (Z)some of whom they will (AA)kill and persecute,’ 50 so that (AB)the blood of all the prophets, shed (AC)from the foundation of the world, may be (AD)charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of (AE)Abel to the blood of (AF)Zechariah, who perished between (AG)the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be (AH)required of this generation. 52 Woe to you (AI)lawyers! (AJ)For you have taken away the key of (AK)knowledge. You (AL)did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

53 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things,

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 11:37 Greek he

Pharisees and Legal Experts Denounced

37 And as he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to have a meal[a] with him, and he went in and[b] reclined at table. 38 And the Pharisee, when he[c] saw it,[d] was astonished that he did not first wash before the meal. 39 But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but your inside is full of greediness and wickedness. 40 Fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give as charitable giving the things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.

42 “But woe to you, Pharisees, because you pay a tenth of mint and rue and every garden herb, and neglect justice and love for God! But it was necessary to do these things without neglecting those things also. 43 Woe to you, Pharisees, because you love the best seat in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces! 44 Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, and the people who walk over them[e] do not know it![f]

45 And one of the legal experts answered and[g] said to him, “Teacher, when you[h] say these things, you insult us also!” 46 So he said, “Woe to you also, legal experts, because you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers! 47 Woe to you, because you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them! 48 As a result you are witnesses, and you approve of the deeds of your fathers, because they killed them and you build their tombs![i] 49 For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ 50 so that the blood of all the prophets that has been shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the temple building.[j] Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation! 52 Woe to you, legal experts, because you have taken away the key to knowledge! You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering!”

53 And when[k] he departed from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly hostile, and to question him closely about many things,

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 11:37 Literally “that he would have a meal”
  2. Luke 11:37 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“went in”) has been translated as a finite verb
  3. Luke 11:38 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
  4. Luke 11:38 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  5. Luke 11:44 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  6. Luke 11:44 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  7. Luke 11:45 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
  8. Luke 11:45 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“say”) which is understood as temporal
  9. Luke 11:48 A large number of later manuscripts add the words “their tombs” here, with variations of wording; although the words are not likely to be original, it is necessary to supply them in keeping with English style
  10. Luke 11:51 Literally “the house,” here a reference to the temple
  11. Luke 11:53 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“departed”)