Religious Hypocrites Denounced
1Then23:1–7 Mk 12:38–39; Lk 20:45–46 Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples:23:1 Mt 10:42; 28:19; Lk 14:26; Jn 8:31; 13:35; 15:8; Ac 6:1
3Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don’t do what they do, because they don’t practice what they teach.23:3 Mt 5:20; 15:3–9; Rm 2:17–23
4They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry23:4 Other mss omit that are hard to carry and put them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them.23:4 Lk 11:46; Ac 15:10; Gl 6:13
5They do everything23:5 Lit do all their works to be seen by others: They enlarge their phylacteries23:5 Ex 13:9; Dt 6:8; 11:18; Mt 6:1,5,16 and lengthen their tassels.23:5 Other mss add on their robes23:5 Mt 9:20; 14:36; Mk 6:56; Lk 8:44
6They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues,23:6 Lk 11:43; 14:7; 20:46
7greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people.
8
“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher,
23:8
Other mss add the Christ
and you are all brothers and sisters.23:7–8 Mk 9:5; 10:51; Jn 1:38,49; 11:8; Jms 3:1
9Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven.23:9 Mal 1:6; Mt 6:9; 7:11
10You are not to be called instructors either, because you have one Instructor, the Messiah.
13
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you don’t go in, and you don’t allow those entering to go in.
23:13
Some mss include v. 14: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows’ houses and make long prayers just for show. This is why you will receive a harsher punishment.
23:13
Mt 23:15,23,25; Lk 11:52
16
“Woe to you, blind guides,
23:16
Mt 15:14; 23:24; Ac 1:16; Rm 2:19
who say, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the temple, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath23:16 Lv 19:12; Nm 30:2; Dt 23:21; Mt 5:33; 14:7; 26:63,72 by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.’23:16 Lit is obligated, also in v. 18
17Blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?
18Also, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it means nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.’
19Blind people!23:19 Other mss read Fools and blind For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?23:19 Ex 29:37; 30:29
20Therefore, the one who takes an oath by the altar takes an oath by it and by everything on it.
23
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of
23:23
Or You tithe
mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law — justice,23:23 1Sm 15:22; Ps 33:5; Jr 5:1; Mc 6:8; Zch 7:9; Lk 11:42 mercy, and faithfulness.23:23 Or faith These things should have been done without neglecting the others.
25
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed
23:25
Or full of violence
and self-indulgence.23:25 Mk 7:4; Lk 11:39
26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,23:26 Other mss add and dish so that the outside of it23:26 Other mss read of them may also become clean.
27
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,
23:27
Lk 11:44; Ac 23:3
which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity.
28In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous,
30and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we wouldn’t have taken part with them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’
31So you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
33
“Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell?
23:33
Lit escape from the judgment of gehenna
23:33
Mt 3:7; 5:22; 12:34
34This is why I am sending you prophets,23:34 Ac 13:1; 1Co 12:28 sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues23:34 2Ch 36:15–16; Mt 10:17; Ac 22:19 and pursue from town to town.
Jesus’s Lamenting over Jerusalem
37
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
23:37–39
Lk 13:34–35
who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks23:37 Or as a mother bird gathers her young under her wings, but you were not willing!23:37 Dt 32:11–12; Ru 2:12; Mt 5:12
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