23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of[a] mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice,(A) mercy, and faithfulness.[b] These things should have been done without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides!(B) You strain out a gnat, but 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[c] and self-indulgence.(C) 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,[d] so that the outside of it[e] may also become clean.

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,(D) which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity. 28 In 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 graves of the righteous, 30 and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we wouldn’t have taken part with them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors’ sins!(E)

33 “Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell?[f](F) 34 This is why I am sending you prophets,(G) sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues(H) and pursue from town to town. 35 So all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be charged to you,[g] from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah,(I) son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.(J) 36 Truly I tell you, all these things will come on this generation.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. 23:23 Or You tithe
  2. 23:23 Or faith
  3. 23:25 Or full of violence
  4. 23:26 Other mss add and dish
  5. 23:26 Other mss read of them
  6. 23:33 Lit escape from the judgment of gehenna
  7. 23:35 Lit will come on you

23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth(A) of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.(B) You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides!(C) You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish,(D) but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.(E) 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,(F) which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets(G) and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.(H) 32 Go ahead, then, and complete(I) what your ancestors started!(J)

33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers!(K) How will you escape being condemned to hell?(L) 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify;(M) others you will flog in your synagogues(N) and pursue from town to town.(O) 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel(P) to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah,(Q) whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.(R) 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.(S)

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