128. Jesus’ Indictment of His Jerusalem Enemies (continued)

        ²³“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. ²⁴You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!”
        ²⁵“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity. ²⁶You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside may be clean.”
        ²⁷“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. ²⁸So you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but within 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 monuments of the righteous, ³⁰saying, '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.' ³¹This you witness against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³²Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.”
        ³³“You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?^{c
        34}My Father has sent you prophets and wise men, some of whom you have killed, and some you have persecuted, ³⁵and so upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. ³⁶Truly, I say to you, all this will come upon this generation.”
        ³⁷“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you would not! ³⁸Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate.”
        (Mt. 23:23–38)

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c   “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell?”—These words are reminiscent of John the Baptist's earlier indictment of the Jewish religious leaders at the river Jordan: “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come for baptism, he said to them: 'You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth fruit that befits repentance. Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.'” (See Ch. 13, Mt. 3:7–8, 10.)

Mt. 23:34  My Father has sent you / Therefore I send you (RSV) • men, some / men and scribes, some (RSV) • you have killed, and / you will kill and crucify, and (RSV) • you have persecuted, / you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, (RSV)
Mt. 23:35 and so upon (NEB) / that upon (RSV) • Zechariah, whom / Zechariah the son of Bachariah, whom (RSV)
Mt. 23:37 wings, but you / wings, and you (RSV)   (175:1/1908)

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