18. And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing. But if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by the oath.’
19. You are blind! For which is greater, the gift or 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 the one who dwells in it.
22. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.
23. “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you neglect what is more important in the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You should have done these things without neglecting the others.
24. Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel!
25. “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
26. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may become clean too!
27. “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean.
28. In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29. “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.
30. And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
31. By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
32. Fill up then the measure of your ancestors!