Jesus Proclaims Eight Woes, Against The Hypocrisy
of the Scribes and Pharisees
Matt 23:13-33 (KJV)
1. But woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for
ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go
in.
Matt 23:13 (KJV)
2. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows'
houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the
greater damnation.
Matt 23:14 (KJV)
3. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and
land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more
the child of hell than yourselves.
Matt 23:15 (KJV)
4. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the
temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple,
he is a debtor! 17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or
the temple that sanctifieth the gold? 18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the
altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it,
he is guilty. 19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or
the altar that sanctifieth the gift? 20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the
altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. 21 And whoso shall swear
by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. 22 And he
that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that
sitteth thereon.
Matt 23:16-22 (KJV)
5. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint
and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment,
mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other
undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Matt 23:23-24 (KJV)
6. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the
outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion
and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the
cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Matt 23:25-26
(KJV)
7. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Matt 23:27-28 (KJV)
8. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs
of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous. Matt 23:29 (KJV)
Jesus final warning: "Ye serpents,
ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Matt 23:33 (KJV)