New Testament in a Year

Seven Woes Pronounced on the Scribes and Pharisees

23 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, ² saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses. ³ Therefore do and observe everything that they tell you, but do not do as they do,^[a] for they tell others to do something^[b] and do not do it themselves.^{[c] 4} And they tie up heavy burdens^[d] and put them^[e] on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing with their finger to move them. ⁵ And they do all their deeds in order to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries broad and make their^[f] tassels long. ⁶ And they love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues ⁷ and the greetings in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people. ⁸ But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ because one is your teacher, and you are all brothers, ⁹ And do not call anyone^[g] your father on earth, for one is your heavenly Father. ¹⁰ And do not be called teachers, because one is your teacher, the Christ. ¹¹ And the greatest among you will be your servant. ¹² And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

¹³ “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you shut the kingdom of heaven before people! For you do not enter, nor permit those wanting to go in^[h] to enter.^[i]

¹⁵ “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you travel around the sea and the dry land to make one convert, and when he becomes one,^[j] you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are!

¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing! But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.’^{[k] 17} Fools and blind people! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold holy? ¹⁸ And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing! But whoever swears by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.’^{[l] 19} Blind people! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy? ²⁰ Therefore the one who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything that is on it. ²¹ And the one who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. ²² And the one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by the one who sits on it.