The Sign of Jonah

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, ^wwe wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, ^x“An evil and ^yadulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For ^zjust as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, ^aso will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 ^bThe men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and ^ccondemn it, for ^dthey repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, ^esomething greater than Jonah is here. 42 ^fThe queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, ^esomething greater than Solomon is here.

Return of an Unclean Spirit

43 “When ^gthe unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through ^hwaterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and ⁱthe last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this ^jevil generation.”

Traditions and Commandments

1 ^eThen Pharisees and ^fscribes came to Jesus ^ffrom Jerusalem and said, 2 ^g“Why do your disciples break ^hthe tradition of the elders? ^jFor they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ^k‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ^l‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,”¹ 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have ^mmade void the word² of God. 7 ⁿYou hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

What Defiles a Person

10 And he called the people to him and said to them, ^q“Hear and understand: 11 ^rit is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were ^soffended when they heard this saying?” 13 He answered, ^t“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted ^uwill be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; ^vthey are blind guides.³ And ^wif the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees

1 Then Jesus ^tsaid to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 ^u“The scribes and the Pharisees ^vsit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, ^wbut not the works they do. ^xFor they preach, but do not practice. 4 ^yThey tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,¹ and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 ^tThey do all their deeds ^zto be seen by others. For they make ^atheir phylacteries broad and ^btheir fringes long, 6 and they ^clove the place of honor at feasts and ^dthe best seats in the synagogues 7 and ^dgreetings in ^ethe marketplaces and being called ^frabbi² by others. 8 ^gBut you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are ^hall brothers.³ 9 ⁱAnd call no man your father on earth, for ^jyou have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, ^kthe Christ. 11 ^lThe greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 ^mWhoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13 “But woe ⁿto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you ^oshut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you ^pneither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.⁴ 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single ^qproselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a ^rchild of ^shell⁵ as yourselves.

16 “Woe to ^tyou, ^ublind guides, who say, ^v‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or ^wthe temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by ^xthe gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or ^ythe altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by ^zhim who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by ^aheaven swears by ^bthe throne of God and by ^chim who sits upon it.

23 ^d“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ^eyou tithe mint and dill and ^fcumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: ^gjustice and mercy and faithfulness. ^hThese you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing ⁱa camel!

25 ^j“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ^kyou clean the outside of ^lthe cup and the plate, but inside they are full of ^mgreed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of ^lthe cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

27 ⁿ“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like ^owhitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and ^pall uncleanness. 28 So you also ^qoutwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of ^rhypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 ^s“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are ^tsons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 ^uFill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, ^vyou brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to ^whell? 34 ^xTherefore ^yI send you ^zprophets and wise men and ^ascribes, ^bsome of whom you will kill and crucify, and ^bsome you will ^cflog in your synagogues and ^dpersecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all ^ethe righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous ^fAbel to the blood of ^gZechariah the son of Barachiah,⁶ whom you murdered between ^hthe sanctuary and ⁱthe altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, ^jall these things will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

37 ^k“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that ^lkills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have ^mgathered ⁿyour children together ^oas a hen gathers her brood ^punder her wings, and ^qyou were not willing! 38 See, ^ryour house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ^s‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”