But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he told them, "You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

because I tell you, unless your righteousness greatly exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom from heaven!"

The Pharisees saw this and asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

Then John's disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don't fast?"

But the Pharisees kept saying, "He drives out demons by the ruler of demons."

When the Pharisees saw this, they told him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!"

The Pharisees, however, went out and plotted against Jesus to kill him.

But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons."

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees told Jesus, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."

Then some Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus and asked,

Then the disciples came and asked him, "Do you realize that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?"

When the Pharisees and Sadducees arrived, in order to test Jesus they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

Jesus told them, "Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"

How can you fail to understand that I wasn't talking to you about bread? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"

Then they understood that he did not say to beware of the yeast used in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Some Pharisees came to him in order to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?"

When the high priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was talking about them.

Then the Pharisees went and planned how to trap Jesus in conversation.

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they met together in the same place.

While the Pharisees were still gathered, Jesus asked them,

"The scribes and the Pharisees administer the authority of Moses,

"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door to the kingdom from heaven in people's faces. You don't go in yourselves, and you don't allow those who are trying to enter to go in.

"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows' houses and say long prayers to cover it up. Therefore, you will receive greater condemnation!

"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make a single convert, and when this happens you make him twice as fit for hell as you are.

"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your mint, dill, and cummin, but have neglected the more important matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the things you should have practiced, without neglecting the others.

"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but on the inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that its outside may also be clean.

"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead people's bones and every kind of impurity.

"How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.

The following day (that is, after the Day of Preparation), the high priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate