Jesus Condemns Those Who Pretend

The common people were listening to Jesus eagerly. As he taught he said,

"Be on your guard against the scribes, who like to walk about in long

robes and to have the people bow to them in the market-places. They like

to sit in the front seats in the synagogue and in the best places at

feasts. These, who use up the property of widows and then to cover their

guilt make long prayers, will receive the greater condemnation."



He also said, "Woe to you scribes! For you load men with burdens heavy

to bear, which you yourselves do not touch with one of your fingers. Woe

to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You shut in men's faces the

door to the Kingdom of God; for you neither enter yourselves nor let

those enter who wish to come in.



"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you carefully pay to

the Temple the tenth part of what grows in your garden, but you do not

show justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Blind guides, who strain out the

gnat and swallow the camel!



"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you make clean the

outside of the cup and the plate, and then fill them with your greed and

selfishness. Blind Pharisee! first make clean the inside of the cup,

that the outside as well may become clean.



"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like

whitewashed tombs, beautiful outside, but inside full of dead men's

bones and filth. So you yourselves appear upright, but inside you are

full of hypocrisy and sin."