Matthew 23:23-36

Christian Standard Bible

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)