"How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees! You hypocrites! You clean the outside of your cup and plate, while the inside is full of what you have gotten by violence and selfishness.

I was ahead of most other Jews of my age in my practice of the Jewish religion, and was much more devoted to the traditions of our ancestors.

they will hold to the outward form of our religion, but reject its real power. Keep away from such people.

Everything is pure to those who are themselves pure; but nothing is pure to those who are defiled and unbelieving, for their minds and consciences have been defiled.

Jesus said to them, "You are the ones who make yourselves look right in other people's sight, but God knows your hearts. For the things that are considered of great value by people are worth nothing in God's sight.

When the LORD saw how wicked everyone on earth was and how evil their thoughts were all the time,

He did what was pleasing to the LORD, but did it reluctantly.

Throughout all Judah, King Hezekiah did what was right and what was pleasing to the LORD his God.

He was successful, because everything he did for the Temple or in observance of the Law, he did in a spirit of complete loyalty and devotion to his God.

They may sound fine, but don't believe him, because his heart is filled to the brim with hate.

There are people who think they are pure when they are as filthy as they can be.

Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart, so that you may be saved. How long will you go on thinking sinful thoughts?

"To have good fruit you must have a healthy tree; if you have a poor tree, you will have bad fruit. A tree is known by the kind of fruit it bears.

A good person brings good things out of a treasure of good things; a bad person brings bad things out of a treasure of bad things.

For from your heart come the evil ideas which lead you to kill, commit adultery, and do other immoral things; to rob, lie, and slander others.

He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would help himself from it.

Jesus and his disciples were at supper. The Devil had already put into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, the thought of betraying Jesus.

Peter said to him, "Ananias, why did you let Satan take control of you and make you lie to the Holy Spirit by keeping part of the money you received for the property?

You have no part or share in our work, because your heart is not right in God's sight.

For I see that you are full of bitter envy and are a prisoner of sin."

Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners! Purify your hearts, you hypocrites!

They open their mouths like lions, roaring and tearing at me.

The leaders are like lions roaring over the animals they have killed. They kill the people, take all the money and property they can get, and by their murders leave many widows.

The government officials are like wolves tearing apart the animals they have killed. They commit murder in order to get rich.

Its officials are like roaring lions; its judges are like hungry wolves, too greedy to leave a bone until morning.

"Be on your guard against false prophets; they come to you looking like sheep on the outside, but on the inside they are really like wild wolves.