³ so practise and observe whatever they tell you—^(A)but not what they do. ^(B)For they preach, but do not practise. ^4 (C)They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,^[a] and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. ^5 (D)They do all their deeds ^(E)to be seen by others. For they make ^(F)their phylacteries broad and ^(G)their fringes long, ⁶ and they ^(H)love the place of honour at feasts and ^(I)the best seats in the synagogues ⁷ and ^(J)greetings in ^(K)the market-places and being called ^(L)rabbi^[b] by others. ^8 (M)But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are ^(N)all brothers.^{[c] 9 (O)}And call no man your father on earth, for ^(P)you have one Father, who is in heaven. ¹⁰ Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, ^(Q)the Christ. ^11 (R)The greatest among you shall be your servant. ^12 (S)Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

¹³ “But woe ^(T)to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you ^(U)shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you ^(V)neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.^{[d] 15} Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single ^(W)proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a ^(X)child of ^(Y)hell^[e] as yourselves.

¹⁶ “Woe to ^(Z)you, ^(AA)blind guides, who say, ^(AB)‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁷ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or ^(AC)the temple that has made the gold sacred? ¹⁸ And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by ^(AD)the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or ^(AE)the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰ So 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 ^(AF)him who dwells in it. ²² And whoever swears by ^(AG)heaven swears by ^(AH)the throne of God and by ^(AI)him who sits upon it.

^23 (AJ)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ^(AK)you tithe mint and dill and ^(AL)cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: ^(AM)justice and mercy and faithfulness. ^(AN)These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. ²⁴ You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing ^(AO)a camel!

^25 (AP)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ^(AQ)you clean the outside of ^(AR)the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of ^(AS)greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶ You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of ^(AT)the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

^27 (AU)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like ^(AV)whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and ^(AW)all uncleanness. ²⁸ So you also ^(AX)outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of ^(AY)hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Traditions and Commandments

15 ^(A)Then Pharisees and ^(B)scribes came to Jesus ^(C)from Jerusalem and said, ^2 (D)“Why do your disciples break ^(E)the tradition of the elders? ^(F)For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” ³ He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God commanded, ^(G)‘Honour your father and your mother,’ and, ^(H)‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ ⁵ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,”^{[a] 6} he need not honour his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have ^(I)made void the word^[b] of God. ^7 (J)You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: