¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides!^(A) You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’^{(B) 17} You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?^{(C) 18} You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?^{(D) 20} Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells^(E) in it. ²² And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.^(F)

²³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth^(G) of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.^(H) You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times^(A)

24 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. ² “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another;^(B) every one will be thrown down.”