23 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The religious teachers and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses, 3 so do what they tell you. But do not do as they do, because they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy burdens and put these burdens on people’s shoulders, but they themselves will not lift a finger to carry them. 5 Everything they do is so that people will notice them. They make themselves extra wide prayer boxes to wear and extra long tassels on their clothes. 6 They love places of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues. 7 They love respectful greetings in the market places, and being addressed as ‘Rabbi.’ 8 But do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ Only one is your master-teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 Do not give anyone on earth the title ‘Father.’ Only one Person is your Father, who is in heaven. 10 Do not be called ‘Leader.’ Only one person is your leader, the Messiah. 11 Whoever is the greatest among you will be your servant. 12 Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.
    13 “But shame on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You slam the door of the Kingdom of Heaven shut in people’s faces. You do not go in yourselves, nor do you allow those entering to go in. [14 Shame on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows’ houses, and make a show of long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.][180]
    15 “Shame on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over sea and land to make just one convert, and when you do, you make him twice a candidate for Gehenna-fire[181] as yourselves.
    16 “Shame on you, blind guides who say, ‘If you swear by the Temple, that is nothing, but if you swear by the gold of the Temple, then you are bound to keep your oath.’ Blind idiots! 17 What is more important — the gold, or the Temple that makes the gold holy?  18 You say, ‘If you swear by the altar, that is nothing, but if you swear by the sacrifice on the altar, then you are bound to keep your oath.’ 19 You are so blind! What is more important — the sacrifice, or the altar that makes the sacrifice holy? 20 Anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.  21 Anyone who swears by the Temple swears by it and by Him who lives in it. 22 Anyone who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
    23 “Shame on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay a tithe of mint, dill, and cumin, but you neglect the weightier matters of the Law — justice, mercy, and faith. These are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides — filtering out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
    25 “Shame on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside may become clean too.
    27 “Shame on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like white-washed tombs, which look good on the outside but inside are full of skeletons and all kinds of unclean things. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to others to be good people, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and law-breaking.
    29 “Shame on you, religious teachers and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build memorial tombs for the prophets, and decorate the tombs of the righteous, 30 and you say, ‘If we had lived in our forefathers’ times we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’  31 By saying this you testify against yourselves that you belong to those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go on and finish off what your forefathers started!  33 You snakes, you brood of vipers, how can you escape the judgment of Gehenna-fire?
    34 “Look, that is why I am sending you prophets, wise men, and scholars.[182] Some of them you will kill, some of them you will crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and chase from town to town. 35 As a result, you will be held accountable for all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah,[183] whom you killed between the temple and the altar. 36 I am telling you the truth: the consequences of all this will come down on this evil society.
    37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! So often I wanted to gather your children as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings — but you were unwilling. [184]    38 Now look — your house is left abandoned, deserted. 39 I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’” [185]