42 “But woe(A) to you Pharisees! You give a tenth[a](B) of mint, rue, and every kind of herb, and you bypass[b] justice(C) and love for God.[c](D) These things you should have done without neglecting the others.

43 “Woe to you Pharisees! You love the front seat(E) in the synagogues(F) and greetings in the marketplaces.

44 “Woe to you![d] You are like unmarked graves; (G) the people who walk over them don’t know it.”

45 One of the experts in the law(H) answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things you insult us too.”

46 Then he said, “Woe also to you experts in the law! You load people with burdens(I) that are hard to carry, and yet you yourselves don’t touch these burdens with one of your fingers.(J)

47 “Woe to you! You build tombs[e] for the prophets,(K) and your fathers killed(L) them. 48 Therefore, you are witnesses(M) that you approve[f](N) the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their monuments.[g] 49 Because of this, the wisdom of God(O) said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles,(P) and some of them they will kill and persecute,’(Q) 50 so that this generation(R) may be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world[h](S) 51 from the blood of Abel(T) to the blood of Zechariah,(U) who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.

“Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible.[i]

52 “Woe to you experts in the law! You have taken away the key to knowledge.(V) You didn’t go in yourselves, and you hindered(W) those who were trying to go in.”

53 When he left there,[j] the scribes and the Pharisees began to oppose(X) him fiercely and to cross-examine him about many things; 54 they were lying in wait(Y) for him to trap him in something he said.[k](Z)

Beware of Religious Hypocrisy

12 Meanwhile, a crowd of many thousands came together, so that they were trampling(AA) on one another. He began to say to his disciples first,(AB) “Be on your guard(AC) against the leaven[l](AD) of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.(AE) There is nothing covered that won’t be uncovered,(AF) nothing hidden that won’t be made known.(AG) Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in an ear in private rooms(AH) will be proclaimed on the housetops.(AI)

Footnotes

  1. 11:42 Or a tithe
  2. 11:42 Or neglect
  3. 11:42 Lit the justice and the love of God
  4. 11:44 Other mss add scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
  5. 11:47 Or graves
  6. 11:48 Lit witnesses and approve
  7. 11:48 Other mss omit their monuments
  8. 11:50 Lit so that the blood of all... world may be required of this generation,
  9. 11:51 Lit you, it will be required of this generation
  10. 11:53 Other mss read And as he was saying these things to them
  11. 11:54 Other mss add so that they might bring charges against him
  12. 12:1 Or yeast

42 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth(A) of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God.(B) You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.(C)

43 “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and respectful greetings in the marketplaces.(D)

44 “Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves,(E) which people walk over without knowing it.”

45 One of the experts in the law(F) answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us also.”

46 Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.(G)

47 “Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. 48 So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs.(H) 49 Because of this, God in his wisdom(I) said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’(J) 50 Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel(K) to the blood of Zechariah,(L) who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.(M)

52 “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”(N)

53 When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions, 54 waiting to catch him in something he might say.(O)

Warnings and Encouragements(P)

12 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be[a] on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.(Q) There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.(R) What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 12:1 Or speak to his disciples, saying: “First of all, be