23 (A)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For (B)you tithe mint and dill and (C)cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: (D)justice and mercy and faithfulness. (E)These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing (F)a camel!

25 (G)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For (H)you clean the outside of (I)the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of (J)greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of (K)the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

27 (L)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like (M)whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and (N)all uncleanness. 28 So you also (O)outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of (P)hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 (Q)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are (R)sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 (S)Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, (T)you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to (U)hell? 34 (V)Therefore (W)I send you (X)prophets and wise men and (Y)scribes, (Z)some of whom you will kill and crucify, and (AA)some you will (AB)flog in your synagogues and (AC)persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all (AD)the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous (AE)Abel to the blood of (AF)Zechariah the son of Barachiah,[a] whom you murdered between (AG)the sanctuary and (AH)the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, (AI)all these things will come upon this generation.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 23:35 Some manuscripts omit the son of Barachiah

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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