(165) Woe unto the Scribes and Pharisees
Matthew 23:13-39
[13]“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. You won’t go in yourselves, neither do you allow those who are entering to go in.
[14]“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour the property of widows, while pretending to be good by making long prayers. Therefore you shall receive the greater condemnation.
[15]“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one convert; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
[16]“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath!’ [17]You blind fools. Which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
[18]“And, you also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is guilty if he breaks his oath.’ [19]You blind fools. Which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? [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 he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
[23]“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, anise, and cummin. But you have ignored the most important matters of the law -- justice, mercy, and faith. These are the things you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
[24]“You blind guides. You will strain for a gnat but swallow a camel.
[25]“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. [26]You blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside of them may be clean also.
[27]“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful on the outside, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. [28]So it is with you. Outside you appear righteous to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
[29]“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets and decorate the sepulchres of the righteous, [30]and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ [31]Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of those who killed the prophets. [32]Fill up then with the measure of your fathers.[1]
[33]“You serpents, generation of vipers. How can you escape the damnation of hell? [34]For look, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city. [35]For this all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be on your hands, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. [36]Truly, I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.
[37]“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you. How often I have wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not let me! [38]Look, your house is left to you desolate. [39]For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”[2]
(165) Woe unto the Scribes and Pharisees
Matthew 23:13-39, KJV
13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. 16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! 17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? 18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. 19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. 23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. 29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? 34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. 37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
(1) This might be paraphrased, "Go ahead then, fill up the graves with the prophets, just like your fathers. (2) Ps. 118:26