17
You fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18
And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever swears by the gift that is upon it, he is bound.
19
You fools and blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20
Whoever therefore shall swear by the altar, swears by it, and by all things thereon.
21
And whoever shall swear by the temple, swears by it, and by him who dwells therein.
22
And he that shall swear by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits thereon.
23
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, justice, mercy, and faith: these ought you to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
24
You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.
25
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26
You 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 you are like unto whitewashed sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28
Even so you also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you build the tombs of the prophets, and adorn the sepulchers 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
Therefore you are witnesses unto yourselves, that you are the children of them who killed the prophets.
32
Fill you up then the measure of your fathers.
33
You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the judgment of hell?
34
Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall you 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 Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you 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, you that kill the prophets, and stone them which are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not!
38
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39
For I say unto you, you shall not see me again, till you shall say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
