Luke 11:37-53
Expanded Bible
Jesus Accuses the Pharisees(A)
37 After Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee asked Jesus to ·eat [dine] with him. So Jesus went in and ·sat at the table [reclined; C the posture for a banquet or dinner party; see 7:36]. 38 But the Pharisee was surprised when he saw that Jesus did not wash his hands before the meal [C a Jewish ritual for ceremonial purity]. 39 The Lord said to him, “You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are full of ·greed [extortion; robbery] and ·evil [wickedness]. 40 You foolish people! The same one who made what is outside also made what is inside. 41 So ·give what is in your dishes [or give from your hearts; L give the inside things] ·to the poor [as alms], and then ·you [everything] will be fully clean. 42 ·How terrible for [L Woe to] you Pharisees! You ·give God one-tenth of [pay tithe on] even your mint, your rue, and every other ·plant [herb] in your garden. But you ·fail to be fair to others [neglect to show justice] and to love God. These are the things you should do ·while continuing [without neglecting] to do those other things. 43 ·How terrible for [L Woe to] you Pharisees, because you love to have the most ·important [honorable] seats in the synagogues, and you love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. 44 ·How terrible for [L Woe to] you, because you are like ·hidden [unmarked] graves, which people walk on without knowing.”
Jesus Talks to Experts on the Law(B)
45 One of the experts on the law said to Jesus, “Teacher, when you say these things, you are insulting us, too.”
46 Jesus answered, “·How terrible for [L Woe to] you, you experts on the law! You ·make strict rules that are very hard for people to obey [L burden people with burdens hard to carry], but you yourselves don’t even ·try to follow those rules [or lift a finger to ease the burden]. 47 ·How terrible for [L Woe to] you, because you build ·tombs [monuments; memorials] for the prophets whom your ancestors killed! 48 And now you ·show [are witnesses; testify] that you approve of what your ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you build ·tombs [monuments; memorials] for them! 49 This is why ·in his wisdom God said [L God’s Wisdom said; C a personification of wisdom; Prov. 8], ‘I will send prophets and apostles to them. ·They will kill some, and they will treat others cruelly [or Some they will persecute and kill].’ 50 So ·you who live now [this generation] will be ·punished for [charged with; held responsible for] the ·deaths of all the prophets who were killed [L blood of all the prophets shed] since the ·beginning [foundation; creation] of the world— 51 from the ·killing [blood] of Abel to the ·killing [blood] of Zechariah, who died between the altar and the ·Temple [sanctuary; L house (of God); C in the arrangement of the Hebrew OT, Abel and Zechariah were the first and last people to be murdered; Gen. 4:4–8; 2 Chr. 24:20–21]. Yes, I tell you that ·you who are alive now [this generation] will be ·punished [charged; held responsible] for them all.
52 “·How terrible for [L Woe to] you, you experts on the law. You have taken away the key to ·learning about God [L knowledge]. You yourselves ·would not learn [L did not enter], and you ·stopped [hindered; prevented] others from ·learning [L entering], too.”
53 When Jesus left, the ·teachers of the law [scribes] and the Pharisees began to ·give him trouble [fiercely oppose him; act with hostility], ·asking him [provoking/attacking/besieging him with] questions about many things,
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Luke 11:37-53
Amplified Bible
Woes upon the Pharisees
37 Now after Jesus had spoken, a Pharisee asked Him to have lunch with him. He went in [the Pharisee’s home] and reclined at the table [without ceremonially washing His hands]. 38 The Pharisee noticed this and was surprised that Jesus did not first ceremonially wash before the meal. 39 But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and plate [as required by tradition]; but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You foolish ones [acting without reflection or intelligence]! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give that which is within as charity [that is, acts of mercy and compassion, not as a public display, but as an expression of your faithfulness to God], and then indeed all things are clean for you.
42 “But woe (judgment is coming) to you Pharisees, because you [self-righteously] [a]tithe mint and [b]rue and every [little] garden herb [tending to all the minutiae], and yet disregard and neglect justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done, without neglecting the others.(A) 43 Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the [c]best seats in the synagogues and to be respectfully greeted in the market places. 44 Woe to you! For you are like graves which are unmarked, and people walk over them without being aware of it [and are ceremonially unclean].”
45 One of the lawyers [an expert in the Mosaic Law] answered Him, “Teacher, by saying this, You insult us too!” 46 But He said, “Woe to you lawyers as well, because you weigh men down with burdens [man-made rules, unreasonable requirements] which are hard to bear, and you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers [to lighten the load]. 47 Woe to you! For you repair or build [d]tombs for the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them. 48 So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers, because they [actually] killed them, and you repair or build their tombs. 49 For this reason also the wisdom of God said [in the Scriptures], ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will put to death and some they will persecute, 50 so that charges may be brought against this generation [holding them responsible] for the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah [the priest], who was murdered between the altar and the house of God. Yes, I tell you, charges will be brought against this generation.’(B) 52 Woe to you lawyers, because you have taken away the key to knowledge (scriptural truth). You yourselves did not enter, and you held back those who were entering [by your flawed interpretation of God’s word and your man-made tradition].”(C)
53 When He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile [toward Him] and to interrogate Him on many subjects,
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- Luke 11:42 The required offering of ten percent.
- Luke 11:42 An odoriferous plant whose oil was used as medicine.
- Luke 11:43 These seats were located near the scrolls of the Law, facing the congregation in the synagogue.
- Luke 11:47 Or monuments to.
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