Diógenes de Sinope.

 Matthew 23:1-13, 15-39

[1] Then Jesus said to the crowd and to his disciples:

[2] "The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.

[3] Whatever they tell you, do and obey, but do not be guided by their works, for they do not practice what they say.

[4] They tie up heavy burdens and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them, not even with their finger.

[5] They do everything to be seen: they make their phylacteries long and the tassels of their garments long.

[6] They love to have the best places at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues,

[7] to be greeted in the marketplaces and to be called 'Teacher' by others.

[8] But you, do not be called 'Teacher,' for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers.

[9] [9] Call no one in the world 'father,' for you have only one, the heavenly Father.

[10] And do not be called 'doctors,' for you have only one Doctor, who is the Messiah.

[11] The greatest among you will be the one who serves you,

[12] For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

[13] 'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven against men! You neither enter yourselves, nor do you allow anyone to enter who would like to.

[15] Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to get one convert, and when you get him, you make him twice as worthy of hell as yourselves! [16] Woe to you, blind guides, who say, "If one swears by the sanctuary, the oath is worthless; but if one swears by the gold of the sanctuary, then it is worthless."

[17] You foolish and blind! Which is more important: the gold or the sanctuary that makes the gold sacred?

[18] You also say, "If one swears by the altar, the oath is worthless; but if one swears by the offering on the altar, it is worthwhile."

[19] You blind people! Which is more important, the offering or the altar that makes the offering sacred?

[20] Now to swear by the altar is to swear by it and by everything on it.

[21] To swear by the sanctuary is to swear by it and by Him who inhabits it.

[22] To swear by heaven is to swear by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. [23] Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin, and neglect the weighty matters of the Law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You must practice these, not neglect the other.

[24] You blind guides, who filter out a gnat and swallow a camel!

[25] Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are full of greed and debauchery!

[26] You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, and the outside will be clean also.

[27] Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs: beautiful on the outside, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and decay! [28]So you are too: outwardly you appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

[29]Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the graves of the righteous,

[30]saying, "If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets."

[31]In this way you testify against yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.

[32]Fill up then the measure of your fathers!

[33]You serpents, you brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of Gehenna?

[34]Therefore I am going to send you prophets, wise men, and scribes; You will kill and crucify some, scourge others in the synagogues, and persecute them from city to city.

[35] Thus will come upon you all the innocent blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

[36] Truly, I say to you, all this will come upon this generation.

[37] O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you! How often I longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing!

[38] Therefore your house will be left desolate.

[39] Truly, I say to you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!'"