Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees

23 Then Jesus ^(A)said to the crowds and to his disciples, ^2 (B)“The scribes and the Pharisees ^(C)sit on Moses' seat, ³ so do and observe whatever they tell you, ^(D)but not the works they do. ^(E)For they preach, but do not practice. ^4 (F)They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,^[a] and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. ^5 (G)They do all their deeds ^(H)to be seen by others. For they make ^(I)their phylacteries broad and ^(J)their fringes long, ⁶ and they ^(K)love the place of honor at feasts and ^(L)the best seats in the synagogues ⁷ and ^(M)greetings in ^(N)the marketplaces and being called ^(O)rabbi^[b] by others. ^8 (P)But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are ^(Q)all brothers.^{[c] 9 (R)}And call no man your father on earth, for ^(S)you have one Father, who is in heaven. ¹⁰ Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, ^(T)the Christ. ^11 (U)The greatest among you shall be your servant. ^12 (V)Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

¹³ “But woe ^(W)to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you ^(X)shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you ^(Y)neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.^{[d] 15} Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single ^(Z)proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a ^(AA)child of ^(AB)hell^[e] as yourselves.

¹⁶ “Woe to ^(AC)you, ^(AD)blind guides, who say, ^(AE)‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or ^(AF)the temple that has made the gold sacred? ¹⁸ And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by ^(AG)the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or ^(AH)the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by ^(AI)him who dwells in it. ²² And whoever swears by ^(AJ)heaven swears by ^(AK)the throne of God and by ^(AL)him who sits upon it.

^23 (AM)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ^(AN)you tithe mint and dill and ^(AO)cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: ^(AP)justice and mercy and faithfulness. ^(AQ)These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. ²⁴ You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing ^(AR)a camel!

^25 (AS)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ^(AT)you clean the outside of ^(AU)the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of ^(AV)greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of ^(AW)the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

^27 (AX)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like ^(AY)whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and ^(AZ)all uncleanness. ²⁸ So you also ^(BA)outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of ^(BB)hypocrisy and lawlessness.

^29 (BC)“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 ^(BD)sons of those who murdered the prophets. ^32 (BE)Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. ³³ You serpents, ^(BF)you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to ^(BG)hell? ^34 (BH)Therefore ^(BI)I send you ^(BJ)prophets and wise men and ^(BK)scribes, ^(BL)some of whom you will kill and crucify, and ^(BM)some you will ^(BN)flog in your synagogues and ^(BO)persecute from town to town, ³⁵ so that on you may come all ^(BP)the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous ^(BQ)Abel to the blood of ^(BR)Zechariah the son of Barachiah,^[f] whom you murdered between ^(BS)the sanctuary and ^(BT)the altar. ³⁶ Truly, I say to you, ^(BU)all these things will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

^37 (BV)“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that ^(BW)kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have ^(BX)gathered ^(BY)your children together ^(BZ)as a hen gathers her brood ^(CA)under her wings, and ^(CB)you were not willing! ³⁸ See, ^(CC)your house is left to you desolate. ³⁹ For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ^(CD)‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

24 ^(CE)Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. ² But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, ^(CF)there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

³ As he sat on ^(CG)the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him ^(CH)privately, saying, “Tell us, ^(CI)when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your ^(CJ)coming and of ^(CK)the end of the age?” ⁴ And Jesus answered them, ^(CL)“See that no one leads you astray. ⁵ For ^(CM)many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am ^(CN)the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. ⁶ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you ^(CO)are not alarmed, for this ^(CP)must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For ^(CQ)nation will rise against nation, and ^(CR)kingdom against kingdom, and there will be ^(CS)famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are but the beginning of ^(CT)the birth pains.

⁹ “Then ^(CU)they will deliver you up ^(CV)to tribulation and ^(CW)put you to death, and ^(CX)you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. ¹⁰ And then many will fall away^[g] and ^(CY)betray one another and hate one another. ¹¹ And many ^(CZ)false prophets will arise ^(DA)and lead many astray. ¹² And because lawlessness will be increased, ^(DB)the love of many will grow cold. ^13 (DC)But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom ^(DD)will be proclaimed throughout the whole world ^(DE)as a testimony ^(DF)to all nations, and ^(DG)then the end will come.

The Abomination of Desolation

¹⁵ “So when you see the abomination of desolation ^(DH)spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in ^(DI)the holy place (^(DJ)let the reader understand), ¹⁶ then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ^17 (DK)Let the one who is on ^(DL)the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, ¹⁸ and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. ¹⁹ And ^(DM)alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! ²⁰ Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. ²¹ For then there will be ^(DN)great tribulation, ^(DO)such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. ²² And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for ^(DP)the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. ^23 (DQ)Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For ^(DR)false christs and ^(DS)false prophets will arise and ^(DT)perform great signs and wonders, ^(DU)so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ See, ^(DV)I have told you beforehand. ²⁶ So, if they say to you, ‘Look, ^(DW)he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. ^27 (DX)For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be ^(DY)the coming of the Son of Man. ^28 (DZ)Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁹ “Immediately after ^(EA)the tribulation of those days ^(EB)the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and ^(EC)the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁰ Then ^(ED)will appear in heaven ^(EE)the sign of the Son of Man, and then ^(EF)all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and ^(EG)they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven ^(EH)with power and great glory. ³¹ And ^(EI)he will send out his angels with a loud ^(EJ)trumpet call, and they will ^(EK)gather ^(EL)his elect from ^(EM)the four winds, ^(EN)from one end of heaven to the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

³² “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³ So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, ^(EO)at the very gates. ^34 (EP)Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. ^35 (EQ)Heaven and earth will pass away, but ^(ER)my words will not pass away.

No One Knows That Day and Hour

³⁶ “But concerning that day and hour ^(ES)no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, ^(ET)nor the Son,^{[h] (EU)}but the Father only. ^37 (EV)For as were the days of Noah, ^(EW)so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ^38 (EX)For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, ^(EY)marrying and giving in marriage, until ^(EZ)the day when Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, ^(FA)so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. ^41 (FB)Two women will be grinding ^(FC)at the mill; one will be taken and one left. ⁴² Therefore, ^(FD)stay awake, for you do not know on what day ^(FE)your Lord is coming. ^43 (FF)But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night ^(FG)the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ Therefore you also must be ^(FH)ready, for ^(FI)the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

⁴⁵ “Who then is ^(FJ)the faithful and ^(FK)wise servant,^[i] whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? ^46 (FL)Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. ⁴⁷ Truly, I say to you, ^(FM)he will set him over all his possessions. ⁴⁸ But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master ^(FN)is delayed,’ ⁴⁹ and begins to beat his fellow servants^[j] and eats and drinks with ^(FO)drunkards, ⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come ^(FP)on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know ⁵¹ and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place ^(FQ)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Moses Makes New Tablets

34 The Lord said to Moses, ^(A)“Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, ^(B)and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, ^(C)which you broke. ² Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me ^(D)on the top of the mountain. ³ No ^(E)one shall come up with you, and let no one be seen throughout all the mountain. Let no flocks or herds graze opposite that mountain.” ⁴ So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. ⁵ The Lord ^(F)descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and ^(G)proclaimed the name of the Lord. ⁶ The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ^(H)“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and ^(I)gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast ^(J)love and faithfulness, ^7 (K)keeping steadfast love for thousands,^{[a] (L)}forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but ^(M)who will by no means clear the guilty, ^(N)visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.” ⁸ And Moses quickly ^(O)bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. ⁹ And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please ^(P)let the Lord go in the midst of us, for ^(Q)it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for ^(R)your inheritance.”

The Covenant Renewed

¹⁰ And he said, “Behold, ^(S)I am making a covenant. Before all your people ^(T)I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord, for it is an ^(U)awesome thing that I will do with you.

¹¹ “Observe what I command you this day. Behold, ^(V)I will drive out before you the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ^12 (W)Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a ^(X)snare in your midst. ¹³ You shall ^(Y)tear down their altars and ^(Z)break their pillars and cut down their ^(AA)Asherim ¹⁴ (for ^(AB)you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), ^15 (AC)lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they ^(AD)whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and ^(AE)you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice, ¹⁶ and you take of ^(AF)their daughters for your sons, and their daughters ^(AG)whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods.

^17 (AH)“You shall not make for yourself any gods of cast metal.

^18 (AI)“You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in ^(AJ)the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt. ^19 (AK)All that open the womb are mine, all your male^[b] livestock, the firstborn of cow and sheep. ²⁰ The ^(AL)firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And ^(AM)none shall appear before me empty-handed.

^21 (AN)“Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest. In plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. ^22 (AO)You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end. ^23 (AP)Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. ²⁴ For I will ^(AQ)cast out nations before you and ^(AR)enlarge your borders; ^(AS)no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year.

^25 (AT)“You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, ^(AU)or let the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover remain until the morning. ^26 (AV)The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God. ^(AW)You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.”

²⁷ And the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words ^(AX)I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” ^28 (AY)So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he ^(AZ)wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.^[c]

The Shining Face of Moses

²⁹ When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with ^(BA)the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face ^(BB)shone because he had been talking with God.^{[d] 30} Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face ^(BC)shone, and they were afraid to come near him. ³¹ But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. ³² Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he ^(BD)commanded them all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. ³³ And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a ^(BE)veil over his face.

³⁴ Whenever Moses ^(BF)went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, ³⁵ the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was ^(BG)shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

You Will Not Abandon My Soul

A ^(A)Miktam^[a] of David.