17. O fools and blind ones! Which is greater, the gold or the Temple that made the gold holy?
18. And you say, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.’
19. O blind ones! Which is greater, the offering or the altar that makes the offering holy?
20. Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and everything on it.
21. And whoever swears by the Temple, swears both by the Temple and by Him who dwells in it.
22. And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
23. “Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! You tithe mint and dill and cumin, yet you have neglected the weightier matters of Torah—justice and mercy and faithfulness. It is necessary to do these things without neglecting the others.
24. O blind guides, straining out a gnat while swallowing a camel!
25. “Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and uncontrolled desire.
26. O blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.
27. “Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.
28. In the same way, you appear righteous to men on the outside, but are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29. “Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the tzaddikim.
30. And you say, ‘If we’d been alive in the days of our forefathers, we wouldn’t have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
31. So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers!
33. O snakes, you brood of vipers! How will you escape the condemnation of Gehenna?