19. You blind men! Which is more important? Is it the gift? Or is it the altar that makes the gift holy?
20. "So anyone who takes an oath in the name of the altar takes an oath in the name of it and of everything on it.
21. And anyone who takes an oath in the name of the temple takes an oath in the name of it and of the One who lives in it.
22. And anyone who takes an oath in the name of heaven takes an oath in the name of God's throne and of the One who sits on it.
23. "How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You give God a tenth of your spices, like mint, dill and cummin. But you have not practiced the more important things of the law, like fairness, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the last things without failing to do the first.
24. You blind guides! You remove the smallest insect from your food. But you swallow a whole camel!
25. "How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You clean the outside of the cup and dish. But on the inside you are full of greed. You only want to satisfy yourselves.
26. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish. Then the outside will also be clean.
27. "How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You are like tombs that are painted white. They look beautiful on the outside. But on the inside they are full of the bones of the dead. They are also full of other things that are not pure and clean.
28. It is the same with you. On the outside you seem to be doing what is right. But on the inside you are full of what is wrong. You pretend to be what you are not.
29. "How terrible for you, teachers of the law and Pharisees! You pretenders! You build tombs for the prophets. You decorate the graves of the godly.
30. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of those who lived before us, we wouldn't have done what they did. We wouldn't have helped to kill the prophets.'
31. So you give witness against yourselves. You admit that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets.
32. So finish the sins that those who lived before you started!
33. "You nest of poisonous snakes! How will you escape from being sentenced to hell?
34. So I am sending you prophets, wise men, and teachers. You will kill some of them. You will nail some to a cross. Others you will whip in your synagogues. You will chase them from town to town.
35. "So you will pay for all the godly people's blood spilled on earth. I mean from the blood of godly Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berekiah. Zechariah was the one you murdered between the temple and the altar.
36. What I'm about to tell you is true. All this will happen to those who are now living.
37. "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and throw stones in order to kill those who are sent to you. Many times I have wanted to gather your people together. I have wanted to be like a hen who gathers her chicks under her wings. But you would not let me!
38. Look, your house is left empty.