New Testament in a Year

Jesus Denounces the Scribes and the Pharisees^(A)

23 Then Jesus told the crowds and his disciples, ² “The scribes and the Pharisees administer the authority of Moses,^{[a] 3} so do whatever they tell you and follow it, but stop doing what they do, because they don’t do what they say. ⁴ They tie up burdens that are heavy and unbearable and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they refuse to lift a finger to remove them.

⁵ “They do everything to be seen by people. They increase the size of their phylacteries^[b] and lengthen the tassels of their garments. ⁶ They love to have the places of honor at festivals, the best seats in the synagogues, ⁷ to be greeted in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’^[c] by people.

⁸ “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’^[d] because you have only one teacher, and all of you are brothers. ⁹ And don’t call anyone on earth ‘Father,’ because you have only one Father, the one in heaven. ¹⁰ Nor are you to be called ‘Teachers,’ because you have only one teacher, the Messiah!^{[e] 11} The person who is greatest among you must be your servant. ¹² Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

¹³ “How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door to the kingdom from^[f] heaven in people’s faces. You don’t go in yourselves, and you don’t allow those who are trying to enter to go in.

¹⁴ “How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows’ houses and say long prayers to cover it up. Therefore, you will receive greater condemnation!^[g]

¹⁵ “How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make a single convert, and when this happens you make him twice as fit for^[h] hell^[i] as you are.

¹⁶ “How terrible it will be for you, blind guides! You say, ‘Whoever swears an oath by the sanctuary is excused,^[j] but whoever swears an oath by the gold of the sanctuary must keep his oath.’^{[k] 17} You blind fools! What is more important, the gold or the sanctuary that made the gold holy? ¹⁸ Again you say,^[l] ‘Whoever swears an oath by the altar is excused,^[m] but whoever swears by the gift that is on it must keep his oath.’^{[n] 19} You blind men!^[o] Which is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy? ²⁰ Therefore, the one who swears an oath by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ The one who swears an oath by the sanctuary swears by it and by the one who lives there. ²² And the one who swears an oath by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.