Old/New Testament

Christ cries woe over the Pharisees, scribes, and hypocrites, and prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem.

23 Then Jesus spoke to the people and to his disciples, ² saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ All therefore that they bid you to observe, that observe and do. But do not follow their works. For they say, but do not do. ⁴ Yea and they bind up heavy burdens, grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to carry them themselves.

⁵ All their works they do to be seen by men. They enlarge their phylacteries, and make large borders on their garments. ⁶ They love to sit uppermost at feasts, and to have the chief seats in the synagogues, ⁷ and greetings in the markets, and to be called Rabbi by men.

⁸ But you shall not suffer yourselves to be called Rabbi. For one is your Master, that is, Christ, and you are all brethren. ⁹ And call no man upon the earth your father, for there is but one your Father, and he is in heaven. ¹⁰ Do not be called teachers, for there is but one your Teacher, and he is Christ. ¹¹ He who is greatest among you will be your servant. ¹² But whosoever exalts himself, shall be brought low. And he who humbles himself, shall be exalted.

¹³ Woe is to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven before men. You yourselves go not in, neither do you suffer those who come to enter in.

¹⁴ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows’ houses, and that under a colour of praying long prayers, for which you shall receive the greater damnation.

¹⁵ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who compass land and sea to bring one person into your belief. And when he is brought in, you make him twofold more the child of hell than you yourselves are.

¹⁶ Woe to you, blind guides, who say that if someone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but whosoever swears by the gold of the temple, he offends. ¹⁷ O fools, and blind! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold? ¹⁸ And whosoever swears by the altar, it is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering that lies on the altar, offends – ¹⁹ Ye fools, and blind! Which is greater: the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? ²⁰ Whoever therefore swears by the altar, swears by it and by all that is on it. ²¹ And whoever swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who dwells therein. ²² And he who swears by heaven, swears by the seat of God and by him who sits upon it.