37 When Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) had a break from speaking, a member of the Farisaios party invited him over for breakfast, so he went into the house and sat down, 38 and the man was very surprised that he didn’t observe the handwashing ceremony before he ate. 39 But the master said to his host, “Yes, all of you in the Farisaios party clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but your insides are full of theft and wickedness. 40 How stupid! Didn’t God who made the outside part, also make what’s inside? 41 However, if you sacrificially give what’s inside, then everything would then become clean for you.

42 “But you Farisaios won’t end well, because you give a tenth of your herbs and vegetables,[ref] yet you all ignore giving justice and loving God, both of which need to be done and cannot be ignored.

43 “You Farisaios won’t end well, because you all love the best seats in the Jewish meeting halls and the honoured greetings in the marketplaces. 44 You all won’t end well, because you’re like unmarked graves that people walk all over without even realising—the people simply don’t know that you’re dead inside.”

45 One of the experts in religious rules there answered him back, “Teacher, you’re insulting us as well when you say that.”

46 “Well, you law experts won’t end well,” Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) responded, “because you put unbearably heavy burdens onto the shoulders of the people, yet you wouldn’t move your little fingers to touch those burdens yourselves. 47 You all won’t end well, because you all build fancy tombs for the prophets that your own ancestors executed. 48 Because of that, you’re all actually admitting and agreeing to what your ancestors did, because they killed them and then you build their tombs. 49 That’s why God in his wisdom said, ‘I’ll send prophets and missionaries to them, which they will then persecute and kill’ 50 so that the blood of those prophets which was spilt from the creation of the world onwards would then be charged to this generation. 51 This goes all the way back to the blood of Hevel (Abel),[ref] right up to the blood of Zekaryah (Zechariah; Grk. Zakarias) who was recently killed between the altar and the temple sanctuary.[ref] Yes, I’m telling all of you, those crimes will be charged to this generation.

52 “You religious law experts won’t end well, because you took away the key to knowledge—not only did you not enter yourselves, but you also forbade others from entering.”

53 Once Yeshua left that house, the religious teachers and the Farisaios party started strongly resenting him, and started a plan of asking him more questions 54 in the hope of catching an answer that could be used to condemn him.

38 As Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) continued teaching, he said, “Watch out for those religious teachers who like to wear fancy robes and be greeted in the square, 39 and have the best seats at meetings and the best places at dinners. 40 Those people trick widows out of their properties, but offer long prayers to cover it up. They will be getting a stricter judgement than others.”

23 Then Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) spoke to the crowds and to his apprentices, saying, 2 “The religious teachers and the Farisaios party claim Mosheh’s (Moses) authority. 3 Because of that, do everything they tell you to do, and obey all the commands they tell you to obey. However, don’t copy what they do, because they’re only good at telling, not doing. 4 They package up unbearably heavy loads and put them on the people’s shoulders, while they themselves won’t even lift a finger to help. 5 Everything they do do is only done to be a public display in front of the people,[ref] so they have big prayer boxes[ref] and fancy robes.[ref] 6 They love the best places at dinners and the best seats in the Jewish meeting halls. 7 They love being greeted in the marketplaces and addressed as ‘my great one’. 8 But don’t let anyone call you ‘my great one’, because you only have one leader, and you’re all brothers and sisters, 9 and don’t call anyone here on earth your ‘Father’, because you only have one father—a heavenly one. 10 Don’t let anyone call you their mentor, because you only have one teacher, and that’s the messiah. 11 The most important person will be everyone’s servant,[ref] 12 and anyone who praises themself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles themself will be praised.[ref]

13 “You religious teachers and Farisaios are hypocrites and will have a bad end, because you’re actually keeping people away from the heavenly kingdom—you don’t enter yourselves, and nor do you allow others to enter.

14 ◘ 15 “You religious teachers and Farisaios are hypocrites and will have a bad end, because you’d travel all the way around the world to make one convert, and then you’d make him twice the son of hell that you are yourselves.

16 “You blind guides will have a bad end. You say that if anyone makes a promise on the temple, it’s worthless, but if they make a promise on the gold in the temple, then they have to honour it. 17 You’re both stupid and blind, because which is greater: the gold, or the temple which makes the gold sacred? 18 And you say that if anyone makes a promise on the altar, it’s worthless, but anyone who makes a promise on the gift on the altar has to honour it. 19 You’re both stupid and blind, because which is greater: the gift, or the altar which makes the gift sacred? 20 Anyone who makes a promise on the altar is bound by both the altar and the things on it. 21 Anyone who makes a promise on the temple is bound by both the temple and God who lives in it. 22 And anyone who makes a promise on heaven is bound by both God’s throne and the one who’s sitting on it.[ref]

23 “You religious teachers and Farisaios are hypocrites and will have a bad end, because you give a tenth of your herbs,[ref] but you ignore the weightier parts of God’s commands, like justice, mercy, and faith. It’s good to tithe, but those other things should also be observed, and not left out. 24 You blind guides! You try to strain out a gnat, and end up swallowing a camel.

25 “You religious teachers and Farisaios are hypocrites and will have a bad end, because you scrub the outsides of your cups and bowls, but the insides are still full of greed and selfishness. 26 You blind Farisaios! First you should clean the inside of your cup or dish, so that the outside can also become clean.

27 “You religious teachers and Farisaios are hypocrites and will have a bad end, because you’re like whitewashed tombs.[ref] On the outside they might look nice, but the insides are full of dead people’s bones and all kinds of impurities, 28 so even though the people might see your godly facade, actually your insides are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “You religious teachers and Farisaios are hypocrites and will have a bad end, because you rebuild the prophets’ tombs and adorn the tombs of godly people, 30 and you tell yourselves, ‘If we’d lived back in our ancestors’ time, we wouldn’t have had any part with them in killing the prophets.’ 31 By saying that, you’re admitting to yourselves that you’re the descendants of the ones who killed the prophets— 32 actually you’re just the same as your ancestors. 33 Bunch of snakes! Brood of vipers! How are you planning to escape being condemned to hell?[ref] 34 Because of that, listen, I’m now sending more prophets and wise preachers and teachers to you people. You’ll kill off some of them and have others executed on posts. You’ll flog some of them in your Jewish meeting halls, and you’ll persecute others from city to city, 35 so that the judgement for the deaths of all the godly people around the world will fall on you people. This includes the blood of innocent Hevel (Abel)[ref] all the way through the centuries to the blood of Zekaryah (Zechariah; Grk. Zakarias) (son of Berekyah) who you people murdered between the temple and the altar.[ref] 36 Yes, I can assure you that all these things will happen to this generation.