17. You are blind fools! Can’t you see that the Temple is greater than the gold on it? It’s the Temple that makes the gold holy!
18. “And you say, ‘If anyone uses the altar to make a promise, that means nothing. But anyone who uses the gift on the altar to make a promise must keep that promise.’
19. You are blind! Can’t you see that the altar is greater than any gift on it? It’s the altar that makes the gift holy!
20. Whoever uses the altar to make a promise is really using the altar and everything on the altar.
21. And anyone who uses the Temple to make a promise is really using the Temple and God, who lives in it.
22. Whoever uses heaven to make a promise is using God’s throne and the one who is seated on it.
23. “It will be bad for you teachers of the law and you Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You give God a tenth of the food you get, even your mint, dill, and cumin. But you don’t obey the really important teachings of the law—being fair, showing mercy, and being faithful. These are the things you should do. And you should also continue to do those other things.
24. You guide the people, but you are blind! Think about a man picking a little fly out of his drink and then swallowing a camel! You are like that.
25. “It will be bad for you teachers of the law and you Pharisees! You are hypocrites! You wash clean the outside of your cups and dishes. But inside they are full of what you got by cheating others and pleasing yourselves.
26. Pharisees, you are blind! First make the inside of the cup clean and good. Then the outside of the cup will also be clean.