44. It will be bad for you, because you are like hidden graves. People walk on them without knowing it.”
45. One of the experts in the law said to Jesus, “Teacher, when you say these things about the Pharisees, you are criticizing our group too.”
46. Jesus answered, “It will be bad for you, you experts in the law! You make strict rules that are very hard for people to obey. You try to force others to obey your rules. But you yourselves don’t even try to follow any of those rules.
47. It will be bad for you, because you build tombs for the prophets. But these are the same prophets your ancestors killed!
48. And now you show all people that you agree with what your ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you build tombs for the prophets!
49. This is why God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send prophets and apostles to them. Some of my prophets and apostles will be killed by evil men. Others will be treated badly.’
50. “So you people who live now will be punished for the deaths of all the prophets who were killed since the beginning of the world.
51. You will be punished for the killing of Abel. And you will be punished for the killing of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the Temple. Yes, I tell you that you people will be punished for them all.
52. “It will be bad for you, you experts in the law! You have taken away the key to learning about God. You yourselves would not learn, and you stopped others from learning too.”