G ay the scribes and Pharisees

1 Then Jesus spoke to the people and to his disciples, 2 saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the throne of Moses. 3 Now whatever they tell you, do and keep; but you are not to act according to their works; because they say it, but don't do it. 4 They bind heavy and unbearable burdens and place them on the shoulders of men; but they don't want to lift a finger for it themselves. 5 But they do all their works that people may see them. They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their clothes big. 6 They like to sit at the top of the banquet and in the synagogues 7 and like to be greeted in the market and called rabbi by the people. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi; for one is your master; but you are all brothers. 9 And you shall call no one your father on earth; for your Father is one: the one in heaven. 10 And you shall not be called teachers; for one is your teacher: Christ. 11 The greatest of you will be your servant. 12 He who exalts himself will be humbled; and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. 13-14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites who close the kingdom of heaven to men! You do not go in and those who want to go in do not let you go in. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites, who go through your land and sea to win a proselyte; and when he is, you make him a child of hell, twice as bad as you. 16 Woe to you, blind leaders who say, If anyone swears by the temple, it does not count; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound. 17 You fools and blind! Which is greater: the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18 And if anyone swears by the altar, it does not count; but if one swears by the sacrifice that lies on it, he is bound. 19 You blind people! Which is greater: the sacrifice or the altar that sanctifies the sacrifice? 20 Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple, swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by him who sits on it. 23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites who tithe mint, dill and caraway seeds and leave aside the most important things in the law, namely justice, mercy and faith! But one should do this and not leave that. 24 You blind guides who screen mosquitoes but swallow camels! 25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites who clean the outside of the cups and bowls, but inside they are full of robbery and greed! 26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may also be clean. 27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites who are like the whitewashed graves that look pretty on the outside, but on the inside they are full of dead bones and pure rubbish! 28 So also you: from the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and disobey the law. 29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites who build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous, 30 and say, If we had lived in the times of our fathers, we would not have been guilty with them of the blood of the prophets! 31 With this you testify of yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets. 32 Well then, you also fill up the measure of your fathers. 33 You snakes, you brood of vipers! How will you escape from hellish damnation? 34 Therefore: Behold, I am sending prophets and wise men and scribes to you; Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute them from one city to another, 35 so that all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous, may come upon you until the blood of Zechariah the son of bekiah, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I say to you, all this will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem
37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you kill the prophets and stone them that are sent to you. How often have I wanted to gather your children together like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings; and you didn't want to! 38 Behold, "your house shall be left desolate" (Jeremiah 22: 5; Psalm 69:26). 39 For I say to you, from now on you will not see me until you say, Blessed be he who comes in the name of the Lord!