Jesus continued,
“You say if anyone swears an oath by the temple, it means nothing.
But if you swear an oath by the gold in the temple then you are a under obligation to keep the oath.
You fools and blind men. Which is greater? The gold? Or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
All oaths are binding no matter what you swear the oath by, because it all belongs to God.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! You tithe the outward things, but you leave out the important things like justice and mercy and faith.
You strain a gnat and yet you will willingly swallow a camel!
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but within you are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
You blind Pharisees, clean the inside of the cup and platter, and the outside will become clean also.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! You are like white-washed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
You appear outwardly to be righteous, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees. You are hypocrites! You decorate the tombs of the prophets and yet your fathers are the ones who killed the prophets.
By your own testimonies you also would have killed the prophets.
How are you going to escape the judgment of hell?
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wing, but you would not stand for it.
Look, your house is going to be left desolate. For I say to you, you will not see me again, until the day you say,
‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
