Luke 11:37-54 - Pharisees And Legal Experts Denounced
37 And as he spoke, a certain Pharisee asked him to dine with him. And he went in and reclined at table. 38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he wondered that he had not first immersed himself before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him: Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and the plate; but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness. 40 Senseless men, did not he who made the outside, make the inside also? 41 But give as charity the contents of the cup, and behold, all things are clean for you.
42 But alas for you, Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and pass by the justice and the love of God; these you ought to have done, and those you ought not to have left undone.
43 Alas for you, Pharisees! for you love the chief seat in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
44 Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like graves that are not seen; and men that walk over them know it not.
45 And one of the lawyers answered and said to him: Teacher, in saying these things, you reproach us also.
46 He replied: Alas for you, lawyers, also! for you bind upon men burdens hard to be borne, and you yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers,
47 Alas for you! for you build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 Therefore you attest and approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their sepulchers. 49 For this reason also the Wisdom of God said: I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill, and persecute, 50 that the blood of all the prophets, which has been shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zachariah, who perished between the altar and the temple; yes, I say to you, It shall be required of this generation.
52 Alas for you, lawyers! for you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not go in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you prevented.
53 And when he said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very angry, and to put questions to him about many things, 54 trying to entrap him, and seeking to lay hold on something from his mouth, that they might accuse him.